Christian, Christians and Jews

Why Are Teenagers Drawn to Witchcraft and the Occult?

Cindy Dawson

A Message for Sunday, 10/11/26

I am writing this post to warn parents that the occult is seducing our children every day. We must teach our children what the Bible says about occult practices.

“The influence of pop culture has made witches and witchcraft appealing to today’s teens. Growing up on Harry Potter books and movies has further opened doors for teens to experience both a curiosity and a familiarity with witchcraft. Increasingly, towns in the heartland of America, once known for their strong Christian heritage, are becoming hotbeds for Wicca, a pagan religion that emphasizes the worship of nature.” Focus on the Family

Not only that, but TikTok has become the home of modern witchcraft. TikTok’s algorithms make it a safe haven for those interested in the occult – and they’re drawing more and more people into the practice. It offers tutorials and shared experiences that make witchcraft seem approachable.

According to Newsweek, the practice of witchcraft in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past few decades, with millennials turning to astrology, tarot cards, and Wicca beliefs as they turn away from Christianity and other traditional religions.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says: “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord;”

Fortunetelling, also known as divination, includes anyone who claims to predict your future or advise you through Ouija boards, crystal balls, horoscopes, astrology, palm-reading, tarot cards, etc.

Other New Age and occult practices include consulting psychics, reading tea leaves, horoscopes, zodiac signs, the occult, yoga, and drug use. You may be unaware that yoga is a pagan religion, but it is. There is also something called tapping, which is  a phenomenon during meditation where a feeling of tapping on the head might indicate kundalini activation, which is extremely dangerous.

The Bible warns us about these practices, but I fear that many Christians are ignorant of the dangers they pose.

It is vitally important to teach our children what God says about the occult in order to protect them from the schemes of the devil. Ignorance is not bliss!

“I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.” Leviticus 20:6 NIV

“Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:31 NIV

“Let no one be found among you . . . who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft.” Deuteronomy 18:10 

See also Galatians 5:19-21, Acts 19:19, Revelation 21:8, ; 2 Kings 21:6; Leviticus 19:26, 31; Deuteronomy 18:14. 

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 is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Sources: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/witchcraft-tiktok

newsweek.com/witchcraft-wiccans-mysticism-astrology-witches-millennials-pagans-religion-1221019

focusonthefamily.com/parenting/why-teens-are-attracted-to-wicca/

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Christians and Jews

The Old Testament Points to the Messiah

Cindy Dawson

An Overview of the Appointed Festivals and How They Point to Christ

As the Israelites wandered in the desert, God was pointing them to the coming Messiah.

“The Lord said to Moses,  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.” Leviticus 23:1-2

  1. THE SABBATH is a day of rest. God said,

“There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly.” Leviticus 23:3

This pointed to Christ, who is our rest.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;  for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” Hebrews 4:9-10 Read full chapter

2. THE PASSOVER celebrated their deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

“So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child.” Galatians 4:7

3. FESTIVAL OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

Christ is our sustenance, our source of strength.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry…” John 6:32-35

4. OFFERING THE FIRSTFRUITS

Points to Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

5. FESTIVAL OF WEEKS

Celebrates the harvest. It occurred fifty days after the Passover Sabbath. It was also called Pentecost. At the Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection, the Church was born.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4 [a] Or languages

6. FESTIVAL OF TRUMPETS

Marked the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God. It points to the Rapture of the Church. However, it does not point to a specific date or time because Jesus said,

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36

“According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

7. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Signifies atonement from sin, a covering. It points to Christ’s atoning death on the cross.

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26

8. FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES

Celebrated God’s provision in the wilderness.

God said,

“On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.  Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” Leviticus 23:40-43

These flimsy booths serve as a reminder to Israel that they once dwelled in makeshift huts during the forty years of wanderings in the Wilderness. It was a harsh environment and they were totally dependent on the Lord. Yet during that time, God was ever faithful to provide water, manna, quail, and every other thing they needed to sustain them in the barren desert.

This pointed to Christ as our provision.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32-33

In His Love, Cindy

Sources: Jeremiah Study Bible Notes, Gotquestions.org, ICEJ, and the NIV Bible

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 Artem Labunsky on Unsplash

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Christian, Christians and Jews

Why We Must Love Truth

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Friday, 10/9/26

“Love for the truth is not optional for believers; it’s the safeguard the Spirit Himself provides.” M. Wiley Wilson

“… wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

God’s Word is truth!

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 Susan Holt Simpson on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Christians and Jews

Love in a Hate-Filled World

Cindy Dawson

Reposted from January 2024

The photo above is of Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage taken into Gaza by Hamas terrorists. His first birthday was not celebrated with his mother and father. No, little Kfir had his first birthday in captivity.

I cannot imagine the unbearable pain and horror his parents and family are experiencing right now. Pray for them and all the hostages and their families.

The savage attack on Israel on October 7th portrayed human depravity at its worst. But in spite of this reality, terror organizations are influencing people all over the world to protest against Israel! They are easily manipulated to hate the Jews because they are ignorant of the truth. This is evil and is inspired by Satan.

Similarly, when protestors chanted and held signs that said “From the River to the Sea. Palestine will be free”, they were asked what river? and what sea? They didn’t know. Nor did they know that the chant implicitly advocates for the dismantling of Israel and a call for the removal or extermination of the Jewish population of the region.

Map showing Israel and the Palestinian Territories as outlined by the Oslo Accords. The Jordan River is on the right, and the Mediterranean Sea is on the left.

Anti-semitism is at an all-time high. Pro-Hamas protests are occurring in cities all over the world! It is unthinkable, but it is happening nonetheless, even in U.S. cities.

Thousands of Pro-Hamas Protesters in London

Do you know what else is at an all-time high? DECEPTION! Ignorance of the truth is widespread and deception is rampant.

In a world often characterized by intolerance and hate, God has called His people to love. The Woke crowd hates anyone who won’t get on board with their agenda. They will curse you and call you a racist, transphobic, or a Nazi. Protestors try to shut down free speech when the speaker is pro-life. Speaking the Truth takes courage and many Christians stay silent because speaking out may cause them to be hated. They could even lose their job.

The following verse takes on new significance in today’s world.

Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV

Christ-followers are to be identified by the way they love one another. Just think of it. Some groups are identified by their head covering. Some are identified by the color of their skin, their language, their food, their flag, or their culture. Of all the ways we might identify a particular group of people, only Christ-followers are identified by their love. That’s amazing when you think about it.

Our human perspective is limited. Paul said,

“We see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV)

But God’s perspective is without limitations. He is all-knowing. That’s why we must trust and follow Jesus, even when we don’t understand His ways. How do we do that? By obeying His Word.

Jesus prayed, “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:14-17 NIV (emphasis mine)

There is already tremendous pressure to accept an unbiblical worldview. But if you read your Bible, you know this pressure is only going to get worse.

The Apostle John warns us that a time is coming when people won’t be able to buy or sell unless they worship the Antichrist, and have a specific mark on their hand or forehead. That’s a lot of pressure to conform! Revelation 13:16-17 NIV

Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 14:1 NASB

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…” Ephesians 6:14 NIV

“Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 NASB (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page: Who Is Jesus? A Message For the Skeptic

Pray for Israel

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Sources:

Amir Tsarfati, Telegram

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_river_to_the_sea

Sky News

Christian, Christians and Jews

Remember October 7

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, October 7, 2026

“October 7 was not merely a massacre of Jews. It was also an assault on common sense, decency, truth, and history. For some, “Free Palestine” has become a new religion, invoked to justify violence and extreme cruelty. It has become an identity for those who feel alienated, offering a cause to embrace while rejecting the love of the truth that could save them.”

Amir Tsarfati, from his Telegram page

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

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

Did you know? 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

A Shepherd’s Perspective on Psalm 23

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Tuesday, 10/6/26

“I have concluded based on my years of experience that sheep are stupid. Not just stupid but mind-numbingly stupid— sometimes I wonder how they manage to breath and eat.” Glenn Brunkow, Rancher¹

Somehow, that quote from Brunkow gives me comfort. God wants to lead us, feed us, and guide us. Our responsibility is to just obey.

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I’m re-reading a fascinating book by Phillip Keller called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.² Keller was a shepherd for years and explains many things about sheep that most people don’t know.The book is eye-opening and provides a deeper understanding of our relationship with the Lord, the Great Shepherd.

I memorized Psalm 23 as a young child and received a glow-in-the-dark cross for a reward. I can still recite it after all these years! I am thankful for my Sunday School teachers who required it and my grandmother who helped me learn it. I consider it a great blessing in my life. (If you haven’t memorized it, I highly recommend that you do!)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.” Psalm 23 KJV

The shepherd watches over his sheep day and night. They cannot take care of themselves, and they get into all kinds of trouble. They will drink polluted water, wander off and be attacked by a wild animal, get stuck in the same fence repeatedly, etc.

” … he who watches over you will not slumber” Psalm 121:3 NIV

Sheep are fearful, timid, and skittish. A rabbit hopping by suddenly can send them into a panic. But they calm down when the shepherd walks into view, and they are comforted. So many times in my life, when I was in a panic, the Lord has comforted me and calmed my fears. That’s when I wonder how people who don’t know Him get through tough times.

We do not “want” because Jesus is always with us, in good times and in bad.  Our joy and peace come from His presence in our life, not in what we have or the way life goes. We are content to be led by Him, doing His will.

One thing I found interesting is the fact that, like humans, some sheep refuse to follow the shepherd and instead do their own thing. This can result in lots of serious problems for the sheep, problems they would have never experienced – if only they had followed the shepherd. (I could write a book about all the times I did my own thing instead of following the Good Shepherd. It never turned out well!)

Without a shepherd, the sheep blindly follow other sheep. When one walks over a cliff, the others follow right behind him!

Keller tells how he would lead his sheep to a clean, clear stream and a stubborn ewe would go off and drink from a polluted, parasite-infested puddle instead. Isn’t that what some people do when they choose the unclean ways of the world instead of the ways of God?

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38 NIV

A good shepherd provides good forage for the sheep, lush green vegetation, so that the sheep can have plenty to eat, grow, and thrive. However, some sheep will wander off and eat from barren, dry brush instead. Sometimes, people prefer to feed on the barren ground of the world instead of walking in His steps.

The final parallel I want to share is the most extraordinary. Sheep must have plenty of pure clean water. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to lead them to a lush green field heavy with morning dew.

The sheep can keep fit and hydrated for months just by grazing right before dawn when the field is heavy with dew. The sheep feed heavily and are most content at this time of day. A good shepherd will make sure his sheep have this opportunity to drink in the “still waters” of dew.

“In the Christian life it is of more than passing significance to observe that those who are often the most serene, most confident and able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word.” (Keller)

These are just a few of the many insights from A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller.

I don’t know about you, but it gives me great comfort to know that I don’t have to be smart to thrive. I need only to follow Jesus, the Great Shepherd. He leads us by His Word.

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37-38

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 NIV

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 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)

¹https://www.agupdate.com/midwestmessenger/opinion/columnists/glenn_brunkow/the-questionable-intelligence-of-sheep/article_69540f07-7577-5559-bfde-a31ea95acc0c.html

²ISBN 0-310-26790-0 available on Amazon

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Forgiving Can Be Hard

Cindy Dawson

Monday’s Meditation, 10/5/26

“Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 NIV

Getting you to hold unforgiveness toward someone is one of Satan’s dirty tricks. I know it can be hard. I’ve had to forgive some big things myself, but God has forgiven me of some big things as well.

There is only one way to forgive the unforgivable, and that is with God’s help. Ask Him for help. He will not turn you away.

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 Sangia on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Christians and Jews

What Is a False Premise?

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 10/4/26

I have to confess, when Job popped up in my Bible Reading Plan again the other day, my first thought was, Oh no! Not Job again! So, after seeking God’s forgiveness, I dug right in.

There is so much to learn from the book of Job! In fact in January of this year, I wrote a series of articles called Treasures From Job.

But you know what? Like He always does, God is teaching me some new things, things that apply to my life right now!

To briefly review, Job was a man who suffered terrible loss. He was a righteous man who lost everything: his wealth, his health, and his children. His suffering was great and his friends came to visit him.

Job’s friends are famous for being terrible comforters. They accused Job of being a wicked man. On and on they chastised him. Through these chapters, we learn how NOT to comfort people!

This is the new thing I learned (new to me, that is): Job’s friends based their beliefs about why Job was suffering on a false premise.

They believed that when bad things happen in someone’s life, it means God is punishing them. Therefore, Job must be wicked and needs to repent. But this was not true, because the premise was not true.

In the same way, someone can interpret Scripture incorrectly based on a false premise. If you can’t understand how someone could believe a certain thing, perhaps they are basing it on a false premise. You may not know what that false premise is. If you did, you would understand how they came to their false interpretation of Scripture.

I have a friend I disagree with on a certain Scripture. I keep thinking, How can you believe that? After reading through Job, I realized that there may be a false premise at play. But what is it?

That isn’t the only reason someone might misinterpret Scripture, but it is one possibility to consider. Please share your thoughts.

“Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119:18 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 Aaron Burden on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Working in the Dark

Cindy Dawson

A Message from Patty at He Said What?!

A couple months ago I looked out our kitchen window above our sink.  And there, to my dismay, was a tunnel web built by a hard-working spider.  The web was between our window and the screen.

Now spiders and I don’t get along too well.  Yet, despite my instinct to get rid of that spider and his web, I had a degree of respect for his hard work and so I let him stay. 

He was very industrious.  He built his web larger and longer as time went by.  One recent day, as Gary worked outside, he decided to use his blower to get rid of the web and hopefully the spider.  Good-bye spider.  Time to go!

But the next morning I went to the window and there was a fresh new web.  That spider had worked during the dark night to rebuild his web and start over.  Impressive, I must say.

I thought of this as I remembered a devotional I had read not long ago from Streams in the Desert.  The author talked about how the children of Israel came to the Red Sea after God led them out of Egypt.  Their situation seemed hopeless at that point.

But God sent a strong east wind all that night and caused the sea to part.  He gave a cloud that provided light and led the Israelites through the sea on dry land.

All seemed lost, but God worked in the night.  The dark didn’t stop Him.

Our dark times don’t stop God, either.  We may not see what He is doing but He has not quit working His best in our lives during the dark times.

In fact, it’s during those times when I can’t see Him working that my trust in Him has grown. 

I don’t have to see His work to trust that He IS working. 

If my trust depends on my sight, then I’m not trusting Him.  I’m trusting what I can see. 

In the morning, I saw how hard our spider worked during the night.

Likewise, someday I’ll see how hard God has worked in my dark times.

“For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness.”   (Psalm 18:28)

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I liked this post so much, I had to repost it! Thanks, Patty!

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, Christians and Jews

Trusting God’s Will

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Friday, 10/2/26

“There will be times when God’s will is not what we would naturally choose.
There will be times when obedience costs us something.
There will be times when we do not understand why God has permitted the road before us to take the direction it has.

Gethsemane reminds us that submission to God does not require pretending that the cup is easy.
Nor does trusting God require us to understand why the cup has been permitted.

It means trusting the Father enough to say:


“Yet not my will, but Yours be done.”

Bruce Cooper, from Yet Not My Will; But Your Will Be Done

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