Tag: DEVOTIONAL

Christian

How To Be a Discerning Christian

Cindy Dawson

Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 NIV

And the Apostle Paul warns,

“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

In other words, these servants of Satan look like Christians! I don’t think the Church understands this at all. These false teachers are difficult to identify because they appear to be sincere, loving, and very knowledgeable. So, unless you have developed the skill of discernment, you are at great risk.

In my experience, Christians are more afraid of calling someone a false teacher than they are of being deceived! (Who do you think implements that strategy?)

The Bible warns us about false teachers. But how can we know who they are? The answer is: We must be discerning Christians.

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 because such knowledge will make apparent what is fraudulent.”

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, it is only when we know the Bible well that we can recognize false teaching. A mature Christian knows the Bible well. This is an important point because an immature Christian can be blown here and there by every kind of teaching (meaning false teaching). That makes sense, right?

Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV says,

“ 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.”

One thing about children, they’ll believe almost anything. And like children, immature Christians will believe almost anything, especially if it sounds good.

So the question is: How well do you know the Bible? How many times have you read it from cover to cover? How many times have you read the New Testament? Are you reading the Bible for yourself? Or do you rely on books about the Bible?

I challenge you to read the Bible from cover to cover at least twice before you read the Christian Best-Sellers. Otherwise, how can you discern if what you are reading is true? Maybe you are thinking, “Oh, I just know.”

I wouldn’t be so sure about that! But don’t take my word for it. Consider what the Bible says.

“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” The Apostle Paul (Acts 20:29-31 NIV)

 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:15, and 21-23 NIV)

 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. (2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV)

“We can best know what is wrong by first knowing what is right.”

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

He Watches Over You

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 4/29/26

God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with him as if you were the only being he had ever created.

CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31NIV

Get ready for goosebumps!

“Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Why Should I Read The Book of Revelation?

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Read for Friday, 4/24/26

I just finished reading the Book of Revelation again, and it makes me wonder why so many Christians don’t read it. These are some of the reasons I found. People say:

It’s not that relevant to my life.

It’s so hard to read.

I don’t understand it.

It makes me uncomfortable.

It scares me.

********************************

John introduces the Book of Revelation by saying,

“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 NIV


And consider what Jesus says about the Book of Revelation:

“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Revelation 22:7 NIV (The Greek word translated soon can mean quickly or suddenly, also in v. 12.)

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:12-14 NIV

The first time you read Revelation, some parts might be difficult to understand, but there will be many parts that are pretty straightforward.

Chapters 2 and 3, for example, are messages from Jesus to the seven churches. These messages contain warnings and compliments from Jesus and are still relevant today.

The more you read and study Revelation, the more of it you will understand. For one thing, other books of the Bible will help you determine its meaning, especially Daniel and Ezekiel.

So go ahead and get started. You will be blessed!

Note: Here are three books by Amir Tsarfati that I found helpful for making the connections to Old Testament Scriptures:

Revealing Revelation, Exploring Ezekiel, and Discovering Daniel.

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Why We Neglect the Bible: A Reflection

Cindy Dawson

For Thursday, 4/23/26

When I was a little girl, I had an imaginary friend. His name was Mickit. If I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do, I would say, “Mickit did it!” For example, one day I threw my bracelet out of the car window. Someone said, “Why did you do that?!”

I said, “I didn’t do it! Mickit did it!”

I don’t know how I came up with this. But it seemed like a good idea at the time. So why am I sharing this? Because we all have countless excuses for neglecting our daily Bible reading.

Everything we need to know is right there in God’s Word! It is the most amazing book ever written. The author is God Himself! So, why do people neglect it?

I have to work, get the kids ready for school, study for a test, take the car in for service, etc. There is no end to the possible excuses! But when all is said and done, it was our choice.

Now, there is one caveat to this. This is not an excuse for not reading your Bible, but it will help you understand why you do it.

You have an adversary. His name is Satan. He is a liar and a deceiver. There is nothing he wants more than to render the Church powerless by stealing their only weapon…

“The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17)

The Psalmist writes,

“I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:15-16 NIV

So the next time you think you don’t have time to read your Bible, remember who is telling you this, and why.

May the Lord give us a love for His Word.

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo: Getty Images for Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Defending the Gospel

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 4/22/26

“Defending the Gospel is not optional—it is a biblical mandate, and it must be done both boldly AND compassionately.

Paul’s letters are filled with exhortations to guard sound doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3–4), expose false teaching (Titus 1:9–11), and speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). The early Church did not treat doctrinal errors lightly—and neither should we.” Bruce Cooper, Grace, Truth, and the One Gospel: Disagreeing without Disrespecting

“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all time handed down to the saints.” Jude 1:3 (NASB)

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Wynand van Poortvliet on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Are You Equipped to Hear the Holy Spirit?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Monday, 4/20/26

In His wilderness temptation with the devil, Jesus fired Scripture at the devil—but He only used ammunition from Deuteronomy. The late Dallas Seminary professor Howard Hendricks used to ask his students, “If your spiritual survival depended on how well you knew the Book of Deuteronomy, how long would you last?”

The Holy Spirit will not bring to mind a verse that we have never read. It is up to us to hide the Word in our hearts so the Spirit can use it to help us fight off the attacks of Satan. (From the Jeremiah Study Bible Online Notes)

Dear Friends, If you make it your practice to read the entire Bible, and then read it again and again, you will discover this truth for yourself. You might be surprised to know that it is not difficult to read the entire Bible in one year when you devote 15 to 20 minutes daily. You can find a 1-year plan you like online. This has been the most impactful practice of my life.

“I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:15-16 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Quote of the Week for 4/15/26

Cindy Dawson

“If God has called you, do not spend time looking over your shoulder to see who is following you.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom

“Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;” Psalm 86:11 NIV

Let your focus be on following God’s Word, not on gaining followers. Then He will lead you in the way that you should go.

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

A rustic wooden door in a stone wall opens to a bright, golden landscape.
Christian

A Word of Encouragement!

Cindy Dawson

For Friday, 4/10/26

Jesus said, “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 AMP (emphasis mine)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 7:7 Here the use of Greek present imperatives (asking, seeking, knocking; vv 7, 8) emphasizes persistent, constant prayer.

You may have been praying about something for a long time. Keep praying and don’t give up!

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

They Thought They Knew More Than God

Cindy Dawson

A Reflection for Tuesday, 4/7/26

In this summary of the 12 spies’ exploration of Canaan, you will see that they had a higher opinion of their own judgment than they had of God’s plan. Even today, people often think they know more than God, especially when God’s Word tells us to do something that doesn’t fit with the current trends.

The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” Numbers 13:1-2

So they went up into the land and explored it for 40 days.

“When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs.” (v.23)

“They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.” (vv 27-28)

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (vv 30-33)

The people grumbled. They didn’t trust God’s plan. In fact, they wanted to go back to Egypt! But Joshua and Caleb pleaded with the people.

“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:7-9)

But the people thought they knew better. They relied on their own judgment rather than God’s Word. They even talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb. The Lord was so angry with the people that He said He was going to destroy them.

But fortunately for them, Moses pleaded with the Lord,

“In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” (v. 19)

This story reminds me of Jesus’ words,

“…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In other words, will He find people trusting His Word? Or will He find us trusting in our own judgment, thinking we know a better way?

In His Love, Cindy

P.S. Read the rest of Numbers, chapter 14, to see what happened next!

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scriptures are from the NIV. Photo from Google Images.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Encouragement for Monday, 4/6/26

Cindy Dawson

“Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].” 1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog