Tag: DEVOTIONAL

Christian

What Will You Do With Your Bags of Gold?

Cindy Dawson

Do you consider your ministry small and insignificant? God doesn’t! I encourage you to press on in your service to the Lord. Do not let the enemy discourage you! Trust the Lord to lead you and guide you. He who promised is faithful!

In the following parable, “The bags of gold (Greek talanton) represent all the opportunities God gives people to serve Him, including their wealth, reputation, abilities, and learning. This parable warns believers to diligently take everything God has given and invest it for His glory as they await Christ’s second coming.” (David Jeremiah Bible Study Notes)

Read the passage below and ask yourself, “What have I done with my bag(s) of gold?

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30 NIV

Maybe you think you have been given only one bag of gold. For example, maybe you write a blog and don’t have many views. Or maybe you teach Sunday School to children, or your ministry is visiting the nursing home.

Maybe the enemy tries to deceive you into thinking your small ministry isn’t important. He wants you to give up (bury it). The enemy will try to make you afraid and quit. “I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground.” (v.25)

Don’t hide your bag of gold in the ground! Just one bag of gold was worth, 20 years wages! Your “small” ministry is valuable to God!

(a) Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.

Every time you speak or write God’s Word from the Bible, you are engaged in spiritual warfare. That’s right!

“The sword of the Spirit … is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

Speaking TRUTH is spiritual warfare. Fight on!

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

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Christian

Who Was Balaam?

Cindy Dawson

Note: Writing this post has been difficult because I know some readers may be offended. It is never my intention to offend anyone, but only to remind us all (myself included) what God has said in His Holy Word.

Who Was Balaam? You will probably think of Balaam’s donkey who talked. (Numbers 22:21-39) Instead, when you think about Balaam, think MONEY!

Balak, the king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam tried several times but was unsuccessful. Balaam wanted his financial reward so he came up with another idea. He taught King Balak to use women to entice the Israelite men to commit sexual immorality. That way, the Israelites would curse themselves and he would still get paid. Pretty clever!

Jesus warned the church at Pergamum:

“There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:14

Translated as entice, the word literally means stumbling-block.  It refers to the part of a trap where the bait is laid. Taking the bait caused the trap to close upon its prey.   Generally, this was a loop or noose, which should entangle the foot of the unwary prey causing it to stumble and fall – a vivid image of what happened to the Israelites. They took the bait, they became entangled, and they fell.

Satan is crafty. He is called the Deceiver, after all. So what kind of traps do you think Satan sets in today’s world?

“According to 2 Peter 2:15, Balaam’s “way” is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. … The doctrine of Balaam teaches compromise, wanting Christians to forget they are called to be separate and holy.” (GotQuestions.org)

In other words, money is the motivation for Balaam’s actions.

“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.” 2 Peter 2:15

Balaam’s “way” then, is a choice to promote falsehood for financial reasons. I suggest there is a lot of that going on today. Make the connections. Deception, false teaching, making money.

The church today relies too much on what I call “Easy Christianity”. Instead of studying the Bible for themselves, they buy entertaining books and videos about the Bible. This can be especially true of women’s Bible Studies.

When researching female Christian speakers, fees ranged from $10,000 to $200,000! That’s only the beginning. The profits from book sales are even better.

At her peak, Beth Moore generated more than $30 million a year in revenue for Lifeway Publishers. (Publishers Weekly)

We’re talking big bucks! So before you study someone’s book just because it’s the current best seller, think again. Maybe we should study the Bible instead!

I am not accusing any particular person of anything. I am just asking you to be realistic. Remember what Jesus told the twelve when He sent them out.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 NIV

Christians can be very naive sometimes. The Bible warns us of this very thing.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” Romans 16:17-18 NIV

In the Bible, we learn of God’s faithfulness, His promises, His mercy, His love, and so much more that brings encouragement and strength. But God’s Word also includes important warnings, and there are many.

May we embrace the whole counsel of God’s Word and not just the “feel-good” parts. May God bless you richly as you study His Word each day.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Friday’s Verse, 2/9/24

Cindy Dawson

“The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash

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Christian

Sunday’s Memory Verse, 2/4/24

Cindy Dawson

“Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

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Christian

Can’t Forgive Yourself?

Cindy Dawson

God forgives even the worst of sinners. But sometimes it can be almost impossible to forgive yourself. There is nothing the devil would like more than to torment you by reminding you of your past. So what can you do? I have good news for you: The Bible addresses this specific problem!

Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV

 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …” Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV

The Apostle Paul said,

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV

Saul, who later became known as the Apostle Paul put Christ-followers to death! But he said that Jesus showed him mercy to display His immense patience as an example for us. Yes, God even forgives murder.

Paul said, “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison…” Acts 22:4-5 NIV

The Good News is this:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2 NIV

The blood of Jesus brings forgiveness for the vilest sin. It will even cleanse you from a guilty conscience. The cross is enough!

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Friday’s Verse, 1/19/24

Cindy Dawson

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8 NIV

My thoughts: If you’re like me, you may think your prayers lack a certain flourish that you hear when others pray. Don’t worry. God knows exactly what you’re trying to say and what is in your heart.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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IPhoto by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Christian

Quote of the Week, 1/17/24

Cindy Dawson

Dear Reader, men may forget us and let us down in life. The royal cupbearer to Pharaoh forgot Joseph’s kindness to him, and did not keep his promise (Genesis 40:14,23). Even worse than that is that men forget the blessings of God in their lives, and drift away from Him as Israel did on countless occasions (Judges 3:7, Jeremiah 3:21). Sadly, today we are no different than the ancient Israelites; we often drift away into the pleasures of this world as a boat drifts on a current. “But God,” our Anchor is still in the business of saving souls – as He remembered Noah He remembers you today.

Alan Kearns, Devotional Treasures

You can read Alan’s post, But God Remembered Noah, here.

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

Christian

If Only I Had Henry’s Perseverance! (Encouragement With a Dose of Humor)

Cindy Dawson

Perseverance: the quality of being someone who continues to make an effort to achieve their aims, even when this is difficult or takes a long time

To say that my pup, Henry, perseveres is the understatement of the year. If he wants something, he never gives up! Here’s an example:

Henry starts softly barking at me. I don’t know what he wants. I keep saying, “What? What?” He doesn’t give up. Finally, he starts doing twirls. That’s one of his tricks. Now I get it. He wants a treat!

Henry sleeps in my bed. For some reason, he wants me to get up every morning at 6:30. In fact, he insists on it! After he gets me up, he gets in his dog bed and goes back to sleep!

About 9pm he’s ready for bed. He gets his favorite toy and waits for me to put him up on my bed.

In the photo below, Henry is hiding from me because he thinks I’m going out and I’ll put him in the bathroom. Why? Because he saw me put on make-up! (I’m not kidding!)

Below Henry enjoys the electric blanket. (Do you think he’s spoiled?)

Every day at 4:00 pm he thinks he is supposed to get a special treat. Trust me, he won’t give up until he gets it. When my son was keeping Henry for a couple of days he forgot to give him his 4:00 treat. Henry literally went and got the bag of treats!

Henry knows what it means to persevere. He wants what he wants and he never tires until he gets it. Watching him reminds me that perseverance is effective. God reminds me that if Henry can persevere, so can I! So can you!

I hope that adding a little humor to this admonition will give you a laugh and help you to be as persevering as Henry!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3 NIV

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 NIV

“…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;” 2 Peter 1:5-6 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Verse for Meditation, 1/11/24

Cindy Dawson

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5 NIV (emphasis mine)

To direct means “to remove the obstacles that stand in the way” – in this case, any barriers to spiritual growth. (David Jeremiah Study Bible notes)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

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Christian

Quote of the Week, 1/10/24

Cindy Dawson

Jesus came and the last days began. The church has been waiting in expectancy since then… Let’s make sure our words and actions put forth a clear message that Jesus is coming soon, and that all need to be ready to meet Him.”

Amir Tsarfati, from his book The Day Approaching

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel

RealChristianWomen.blog

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