Christian, Christians and Jews

Oh, Praise the Lord, He Lifted Me!

Cindy Dawson

Monday’s Meditation for 9/21/26

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 NLT

My Thoughts: This is King David’s testimony, but it is also my testimony. Is it yours?

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

Christians and Jews

Wisdom’s Call

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 9/20/26

“Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,
for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10-11 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

Why Do Christians Listen to False Teachers?

Cindy Dawson

3 minutes

False teaching usually comes from the mouth of a gifted communicator, often someone engaging and entertaining. Their message will make you feel good, so you keep coming back for more. Don’t be surprised if they are selling lots of books and DVDs. They’re making a fortune off of it, and so is the publisher. The Bible warns us.

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV

I look back on the days when I followed the false teaching, Word of Faith. I was sincere. I was devoted. I was on fire for Christ! But, I wasn’t mature. I wish someone would have said, “Before you latch on to this teaching, study your Bible instead of the books written by the Word of Faith teachers.”

Eventually, I was able to discern the errors, because I was a student of the Bible. But my involvement in Word of Faith almost shipwrecked my faith. It’s devastating to realize you have been deceived. I blamed God for allowing it. It caused me to question everything I knew about God.

But God brought me through, and now I speak up against the dangers false teachers pose to the Body of Christ. So ask yourself, “Am I a mature Christian or do I lack discernment?”

How can you know? Ask God with a sincere heart. Love the Truth more than your own opinion. Be disciplined enough to read and study your Bible daily.

A mature Christian is someone who has walked with the Lord over the years, and by knowing and obeying God’s Word, they have learned to discern truth from error. To know God’s Word, we must study God’s Word.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be an immature Christian. After all, how could a new Christian be mature? They couldn’t. They have to learn and grow in Christ. Unfortunately, not everyone grows and matures. Evidence of this can be seen by the large numbers of Christians who unknowingly follow false teaching. Consider the following Scripture:

 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV (emphasis mine)

I know the damage false teaching will eventually bring about in the lives of those who are ensnared in it. It’s not okay.

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5: 12-14 NIV (emphasis mine)

Beware of the false teaching from the Word of Faith, New age, and New Apostolic Reformation which is infiltrating the Church today. Your best protection is the Belt of Truth (God’s Word). The following links provide more information.

New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)

New Age

Word of Faith

How Can I Recognize a False Teacher?

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)

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Christians and Jews

Confidence in Prayer: Trusting God’s Will

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Friday, 9/18/26


“The content of all true prayer originates in the heart of God. So it is He who inspires the prayer in the heart of man.” Paul E. Billheimer

Prayer is not about convincing God, but about the desire to pray according to God’s will and trusting Him to guide you.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 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 Adedotun Adegborioye on Unsplash

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Christian, Christians and Jews

Do I Grumble? 😳

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 9/17/26

After the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, they began to grumble against Moses and Aaron. They said,

“If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3

Moses told them,

“Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:8

As I read this, I was convicted about my own complaining. I realized that when I complain, I am really complaining (grumbling) against the Lord. (Thank you, Moses, for pointing this out.)

Read what the Apostle Paul had to say about this very same event,

“And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us…” 1 Corinthians 10:11

As Christians, we have followed Christ out of Egypt (slavery to sin). Let us trust Him to lead us.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Philippians 2:14-15

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)

Scriptures from the NIV

Photo of the Red Sea from Pixels

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christians and Jews

Moving Beyond the Past: A Message of Hope

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 9/16/26

“Wise Christians surround themselves with reminders of God’s goodness as a way to move beyond their pasts.” Jeremiah Study Bible Notes

Genesis 41:51 tells us that Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh; the Hebrew sounds like the word for forget. And he said,

“It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”

The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” Genesis 41:52

Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew word for twice fruitful.

Learn about the fascinating events in the life of Joseph in Genesis, chapters 37-50.

The featured image shows Joseph’s brothers selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites.

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)

Google Stock Image

RealChristianWomen.blog

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)

RealChristianWomen.blog

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

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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Christian

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)

RealChristianWomen.blog