Category: Bible

Christian, women

Sins Like Scarlet

Cindy Dawson

Have you ever thought, “I love Jesus, but I’ve lived a sinful life. I’m divorced, I was a prostitute, a thief,  a liar, a drunk, Fill in the blank.

Does that mean church people won’t accept me? Do I have the right to be in church? Will I be punished for the rest of my life? Will I be shunned? Could Jesus ever use me?

Jesus said this about the woman who had lived a sinful life, “Because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:47 (Berean Study Bible) 

Honestly, I would be more worried if I had lived a so-called “perfect” life! If I was really proud of myself for following all the rules, would I be as thankful for Jesus as I am now? Would I judge those who had not followed the rules? Would I look down on them? Let’s consider some other things Jesus had to say about this.

“Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” Luke 11:39 NIV

Basically that means they did things for show and they were very legalistic, but there was no love in their hearts and they only thought about themselves!

In verse 42 He adds, “You give God a tenth . . . but you neglect justice and the love of God.”

“You load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” (verse 46)

In other words, you give people a lot of rules to follow, but you don’t care anything about them and you couldn’t be bothered to help them.

If you have had “Pharisees” in your life, or if you are just afraid that church people will judge you, listen to  the words of Jesus.  

“Come to me, all you 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The Scripture says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43: 25

If you have given your heart to Jesus, but you have a past, remember this. He forgave you when you asked him to. He remembers your sins no more. It’s like you never did them in his eyes. Being a Christian means you are a Christ-follower. Pleasing Him is what matters.

 The Rest of the Story

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7: 36-48

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

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Christian

Eliminate Stress

Cindy Dawson

1. Pray

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”              Philippians 4: 6 & 7

2.  Memorize God’s Word

Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (verses 1 & 2)

If you make the Most High your dwelling … then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (verses 9-12)

‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.’ (verse 14)

3. Praise God

Today, we are blessed to have access to so many beautiful songs of praise to our God. I play Christian music through Pandora every day. It puts my focus on the Lord and gives me peace. Try some of these stations on Pandora:

The Hymn (O What Mercy) Radio

Bill and Gloria Gaither

Christian Contemporary Radio

Hillsong United Radio

Hymns 4 Worship Radio

Laura Story Radio

Phillips Craig & Dean

Praise & Worship Medley Radio

Sandy Patty Radio

Selah Radio

Today’s Christian Hits Radio

Kari Jobe Radio

Laura Story Radio

Hymns on Piano Radio

Country Hymns Radio

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Distractions

Cindy Dawson

Is something distracting you from your purpose? The devil is very crafty. The Scripture is clear about this. 

“But 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

The Greek word for cunning here is panourgia. It means trickery, craftiness. Crafty means skillful in evil schemes. When Satan attacks, it won’t be obvious. It may take days or weeks before you realize that you are caught up in something that is a result of Satan’s crafty scheme to lead you away from “your sincere and pure devotion to Christ”. I’m not talking about leading you into sin. I’m talking about distracting you from God’s purpose for your life – your ministry, your calling, your gift.

One way Satan does this is by getting you overly involved in something that is taking you away from what God wants you to do. The devil knows how to distract you from your purpose. He knows this distraction must appear to be a good thing. Today the Lord brought this Scripture to my remembrance:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the church in Philippi while he was in prison in Rome. It would have been easy for the Philippians to be so worried about Paul that they were distracted from God’s purpose, but Paul talks to them about joy and peace. He tells them to dwell on good things, not bad things.

When I start to question my purpose and my relationship with the Lord, I know it is coming from Satan, the Father of Lies, the Deceiver. God is faithful and He will use His Word to guide you, and me.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

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Christian

It’s Time to Fight Back!

Cindy Dawson

Have you wondered lately, “What is wrong with me? Why am I so discouraged and depressed?

If so, you could be under attack by spiritual forces of evil! The apostle Paul wrote about it in the book of Ephesians. He said,

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12

Recently, a friend said to me, “I think I’m under the attack of the devil.”

I thought, “I think I am, too!”

Thinking about how we both had really geared up our efforts to be obedient to God’s will in our lives, I realized that Satan wasn’t taking it lying down! He was trying to discourage us both! He was trying to steal the Word and wear us down.

He was putting negative thoughts in our minds! Remember: Satan is the Accuser. (Revelation 12:10) He is also the Father of Lies. (John 8:44) He will attack your thoughts. Jesus said,

“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word …” Mark 4:15

Did the devil attack Jesus? Yes, he did. Did Jesus fight back? Yes, he did. Did the devil finally give up and leave him alone? Yes, he did!

After fasting forty days and forty nights, (Jesus) was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Mathew 4: 3-4

Three times the devil tempted Jesus, and every time Jesus quoted the Word of God to him. That’s how Jesus fought back! Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit (our powerful weapon) is the is the Word of God. Jesus fought the devil’s schemes with the word of God. We can, too!

Let us praise and thank the Father, in prayer, for all the promises that contradict the discouragement and lies that come from Satan. 

It is written, the fruit of the Spirit is  love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

Jesus has promised that if I remain in His love, my joy will be complete. (John 15:11)

It is written “God gives us endurance and encouragement.” (Romans 15:5)

By your grace, you have given us eternal encouragement and hope. (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

It is written, when I am weak, then I am strong because your power is made perfect in weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

I thank you, Father, because you are able to make all grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, I will have all that I need, and I will abound in every good work! (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength! (Philippians 4:13)

WOW! I feel better already! And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! The Bible is full of encouragement and love for you and for me!

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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Christian

To the Atheist I Love (Continued)

Cindy Dawson
Dear J,    I continue to pray for you daily. I know that someday you will come to your senses and trust the Father and His son, Jesus Christ. God loves you and wants to carry your burdens. For some time, I have asked the Lord to teach me how to pray the effectual prayer that avails much, so that my prayers for you will be answered. It is God’s will for you to believe in Him. The wonderful blessing of having a relationship with Him is there, waiting for you to take it. 
I have thought a lot about what you said, “I’d like to have the comfort of believing what you believe, it simply doesn’t exist for me.” If that were true, you would believe, because unlike believing in Buda, or any other false god or false religion, Jesus Christ is true and the Holy Spirit is working to bring you to a knowledge of the truth. You only have to seek truth.
It is hard for you because you have hardened your heart. Ask God to soften your heart, so that you will be open to truth. I urge you to read the New Testament and ask God to reveal Himself to you.
I love you dearly and nothing you say to me will change that.

Love,    C

Jesus said to them, 14“The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”      Mark 4:15-20

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

Christian

The Devil is Still Around!

Cindy Dawson

“… that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world … ” Revelation 20:2

Have you ever wondered how the devil attacks Christians? The Bible says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) I think Peter used the roaring lion illustration for a reason! 

I Peter 4:1 says to “…arm yourselves with the same attitude (that is in Christ)…”  It doesn’t say to have the same attitude as Christ. It says to ARM yourselves with it!

I haven’t been able to get those words out of my mind for days. To arm yourself means to equip yourself with weapons.  The mind of Christ, or having the same attitude as Christ, is our weapon against the devil!

I knew I needed to learn more about the attitude that equips me for battle with the devil. After all, a “roaring lion” is prowling around, looking for someone that is unprotected and unarmed! To prowl means to search stealthily, implying he is difficult to detect. He is sneaky.

What is the mind of Christ? What is His attitude? First of all, the mind of Christ is completely unselfish. He gave His life for us. He loves us. He put us above His own needs and desires. He sought the will of the Father, not His own. He had no time for sin. He sought the glory of God the Father. He was willing to suffer. Early in the morning, He prayed. In humility, He became a servant.

When we obey God and allow Him to transform us into a new creation, we begin to think like Jesus. We become less self-centered and begin to care for others more than ourselves.

I realize that there have been times when the devil tried to “devour” me. He attacked me with the purpose of dragging me away from God and what God called me to do. Because I was not thinking with the mind of Christ, the devil was able to get a foothold. I was focused on what I wanted (what I thought I needed.)  I clung to my selfish desires because, well, I needed to! (It was a big mistake!)

But when we think like Jesus, we are well armed against the devil’s schemes. I see it now. I wish I had seen it earlier. 

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)  The Bible tells us how to protect ourselves against the devil. He tells us how to arm ourselves. 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6: 10-18)

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ” Philippians 2:5-11

I pray that my blog will inspire you to search God’s Word and learn more about the mind of Christ, the attitude that was in Christ. His Word is filled with precious promises and leads us faithfully to Jesus. 

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

Christian

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

Cindy Dawson

Two years ago, I had no idea I was going to write a blog. I had no idea my daughter would lead worship in my church. I had no idea God was getting ready to change my life.

But God had His plan working all along, even though I was completely unaware of what He was doing! He already knew these things would happen. I have prayed frequently and asked God to do many things, but I haven’t always seen the answers I hoped for. Finally, I asked Jesus to teach me to pray.

I learned I was right to ask Jesus to teach me how to pray. He has already taught me something new! Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…: Matthew 6:9-10 NIV

What does that have to do with effectual prayer? Everything! Because, I don’t need to go to God with a list of things for Him to do. What do the words mean “hallowed be your name”? Hallowed means: honored as holy, blessed, greatly revered, respected, honored and worshiped.

Let’s think about that for a minute. When we go to the Father in prayer, let us worship Him. Let us adore Him and recognize the character of our God. Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise.

Then Jesus said, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 

God has shown me that the key to effectual prayer is not about me. It’s not about my ability to pray. It’s about Him! I’ve been too focused on myself instead of on Him!  

Let Jesus teach us to pray. Let us worship the Father. Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise. Then, let us pray for His will to be done in our life, in our church, in our city, and all over the world. He has a plan that is better than all we can ask or imagine! 

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

The words of the hymn are true, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” But, let us have a new and deeper revelation of His greatness and love. Let us revere and love Him as we should. We can find words to praise Him throughout the Psalms! Here are just a few key verses:

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens…. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him… that you care for him?” Psalm 8:1-4 NIV

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise….” Psalm 18:1-3a NIV

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.” Psalm 25:1-2a NIV

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep…. How priceless is your unfailing love!” Psalm 36:5-7 NIV

Ask Jesus to teach you to pray!

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Lord, Teach Us to Pray… (Luke 11:1)

Cindy Dawson

 I urgently feel the need to learn how to pray more effectively for the people God has laid upon my heart.  Sisters in Christ,    Join me as I ask Jesus to teach me how to pray. 

O Lord, my God, teach me to pray the effective prayer that avails much! Teach me to pray in full surrender to your will!  I confess that I don’t know how to pray as I should. Reveal the sin that hinders my prayer. Give me the humility to learn from You. This is the cry of my heart! I pray this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Although I do not want to suggest that there is a “formula” for prayer that we must adhere to, I do want to search the Word of God for direction and help to pray in the way that I should and that is pleasing to Him. After all, there are numerous references to prayer and many examples of prayer in the Scripture. Let’s look first at Jesus’ teaching on  prayer:

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.” Matthew 6:6 

Although I know that God hears me when I pray in my car on the way to school, I think that we must remember that we also need to make time to pray alone in a special place where we can take time to worship and listen. Jesus said, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8

” And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Answers to prayer depend, not on me, but on the love and power of the Father. And He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” Ephesians 3:20

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 KJV

So let us go to the Secret Place of the Father’s presence and speak with Him, not just to Him. Let us seek His presence and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in prayer. 

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

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Christian

Letters to the Atheist I Love

Cindy Dawson

Do you know someone who doesn’t believe in Jesus? Maybe it’s someone you love very much. You may have prayed for this person for a long time. Maybe it’s your husband.

Someone I love very much calls himself an atheist.  I want to share with you some of the letters I have written him in response to his explanations of why he doesn’t believe  in God. I pray that they may help you in some way.

Dear J,     You claim to be an atheist, but I don’t believe it. I think that deep down you know the truth. I’ve been through a time of doubt myself, and I think everyone has to go through doubt before faith becomes genuine. 

I am so sorry that you are going through such a difficult time. Just like you, I have also had serious problems connected to work and making a living. The only way I have been able to make it through my tough times was (and is) through my relationship with Christ.

It is knowing that God loves me, even though I don’t deserve it, that I find comfort and strength to endure the difficult times. Whenever I turn to Him, He never fails to comfort and encourage me.

During one particular crisis, I happened upon a radio station, seemingly by accident. I began to listen every morning as this minister taught about the struggles of Joseph when his brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37).  It was amazing how this pastor encouraged me through his lessons day after day! These lessons were exactly what I needed to face my arduous situation each day.  

God didn’t answer my prayers the way I hoped (and thought) He would. No, He didn’t stop the injustice. In fact, my situation ended up worse than I even imagined! But He made His love and faithfulness known to me in an awesome way. I knew in my heart and soul that He was along side of me.

Since then, I am trusting God in a way I never have before. I’m going to write down a couple of Scriptures that have given me peace. (There are many more.) I hope they will encourage you, too. I love you and I will keep praying for you.

Love,   C

Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

PS: My heart has been broken many times, but the Lord has always helped me through. That is the truth.

Letter 2:

Dear J,       You said you would like to have the comfort of knowing what I know and believing what I believe. You can. It is a choice to believe in Jesus, not a feeling. Anyone can know the love of God. The Bible says, “If you seek Him, He will be found by you.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

Everyone who seeks God will find Him, but if we don’t keep in the Word of God, we won’t do very well in our walk. The Word of God is what strengthens us and it is how God encourages us. There have been many times when I prayed that God would help me believe and strengthen my faith…

I wish I could scoop you up out of your pain, but I can’t. Please start seeking God. You don’t have to be perfect. He loves you and me the way we are.

Maybe you think my life has been perfect. I can assure you it has not. God has not kept bad things from happening to me, but every time I turn to Him, I find Him. He is waiting for you to seek Him. This is what you must do.

I love you,     C

Letter 3:

Dear J,         I would like to have an intellectual discussion with you concerning your comment that the peace of God does not exist for you. You say you’re not an atheist by choice. Does that mean you didn’t choose to be an atheist? How is that possible? Have you made a decision that even if Christianity is truth, you don’t want any part of it? Or, have you sought God with all your heart but did not find Him? Or, did you make a decision that God does not exist based on your intellect? Or is there another reason?

I love you,       C

Letter 4:

Dear J,       So, my question for you is: Aren’t you curious as to why millions of people are Christians? Isn’t it at least possible they know something you don’t? You said, “I just don’t see any compelling evidence that God exists.”

You can’t determine if God exists based on the actions of “Christians”, the history of the church, the Roman Empire, Constantine,  or any other historical facts and/or statistics. Knowing God is a matter of the heart. Do not be afraid to soften your heart toward God.

Love,     C

Letter 5:

Dear J,        I don’t know how anyone survives hard times without a relationship with Christ. (Don’t you dare stop reading this!) You keep telling me of all the misfortune and injustice in your life.  I have had many experiences that were devastating at the time, but my relationship with God is what carried me through. You don’t even know about them and you don’t want to. Every time I was at one of these lowest points, God encouraged me in such a way that I knew, without a doubt, that God was there and I was not alone. Minute by minute, God knows every detail of what is going on in my life. It is God who holds my future.

It’s being able to see the blessings in my life, in spite of the negative circumstances, that enables me to endure the tough times. Later, I always realize that I have become a stronger woman because of them.

I chose to believe Him. I chose to take Him at His word. Following Jesus is not a feeling that comes over you, it is a choice. Once you make the decision to believe in Him and follow Him, then you will be able to see the compelling evidence you seek. Then you can have the comfort of knowing what I know and believing what I believe.

I love you and pray for you.     C

I hope you will be encouraged to keep praying for the unbeliever you love.

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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Christian

Does God Really Love Me?

Cindy Dawson

What would you do if you lost a 5 carat diamond ring? Would you just say, “Well I don’t see it. I guess it’s gone.” Or, would you look for it for as long as it took? Would you look everywhere or just where you stood? Would you give up after a few minutes? Of course not! You would look for it with every bit of energy in your body! How much more should we seek God with all our hearts!

Maybe you’re thinking that it’s impossible to know for sure if God is real. But, you can know! God says you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart. If you don’t know Him, you haven’t searched for Him with all your heart. But if you will seek to know Him, you will find Him. I think people who say they don’t believe in God haven’t taken God at His word and opened their hearts so that they might know the One true God and Jesus Christ His Son.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Jesus taught His disciples saying,  “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God]…” Matthew 6:33

God loves you more than you can imagine! He loved you enough to die for you, knowing you could reject Him and His love. How do I know that? The Scripture plainly tells us of God’s great love.

“But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Amplified Bible

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” 1 John 1:9 NIV

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 NIV

Did you know that you cannot love God if you don’t love Jesus? “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” 1 John 5:1

“The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] 1 John 4:8 AMP

The Psalmist writes, “For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” Psalm 108:

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

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