Tag: God

Christian

The Seriousness of Sin and the Magnitude of Grace.”

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 6/17/26

“God desires that His children not only receive His grace but understand why it is precious. Through the Son, believers learn to value mercy because they see what it cost…In Christ’s submission to the Father’s will, the depth of divine mercy is revealed. The Father’s justice and compassion meet perfectly in the cross. In that sacred union, the believer learns both the seriousness of sin and the magnitude of grace.”

Bruce Cooper, from KNOWING THE FATHER THROUGH THE SON: THE DOOR THAT NEVER CLOSES

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 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

Photo: Getty Images for Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

What I Don’t Know Can’t Hurt Me, Or Can It?

Cindy Dawson

Despite what people might say, Ignorance is not bliss!

When the truth makes us uncomfortable, do we ignore it? Selah* (Pause and calmly think of that.)

“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

Many devout Christians are being led astray because they are naive. That means they are unsuspecting (easily deceived, exploitable, ripe for the picking). By definition, they don’t know they’re deceived.

I was taken in by the Word of Faith teaching myself once. In fact, I had to “unlearn” a lot of teaching, and that is not easy to do.

We must learn to identify false teaching for ourselves through studying the Word of God. If I tell someone that a Bible teacher they like teaches false doctrine, I know what they would think because it’s what I used to think: “They don’t understand because they’re in a dead church.” OR “They don’t have revelation.” OR, my favorite: “They’re just religious.”

I assure you, I am not dead or religious! (Isn’t that judging someone’s heart?)

All this stems from pride – the false assumption that I have revelation of the Scripture others don’t have. Selah

I would venture to say that all those “old, religious people at the church down the street” have more experience walking through trials with the Lord at their side than some of us ever will.

How I wish I could talk to my grandmother about God, again. She would be about 130 years old now. If only I had known to seek her wisdom when I was a youth and she was still around.

But, alas, when we’re young, we think we know it all. I know this because I used to teach in a middle school! Students will argue about anything, even how to do a math problem! (Are you kidding me?)

You can think you’re right “till the cows come home”, but that doesn’t make you right.

My point is, if you are learning about God from a Bible teacher, rather than from the Bible, be careful. Check the Scriptures given to see if they have been taken out of context. (That happens a lot and is the basis of much of the false teaching accepted today!)

Respect those “old Christians” you may think are “dead” or “religious”. It’s wise to listen to the elderly with respect.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I wish I knew then what I know now.”? Selah

“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Job 12:12

Did my journey with false teachers and false prophets affect my life?

Yes! It almost shipwrecked my faith and took many years for me to recover.  So, no, ignorance is not bliss.

“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.  They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT

Dear Lord, Guide us and teach us to walk with you in Truth and humility. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 *The Amplified Bible translates selah as “pause, and calmly think of that.”

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

God’s Protection, Psalm 91

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Friday, 6/12/26

“Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:3-4 NIV

This word picture of God’s protection is rich with meaning. It warms my heart and encourages my soul every time I read it. The “fowler’s snare” is a metaphor for hidden danger, unexpected spiritual traps, and the deceptive schemes of the enemy. Pestilence brings to mind a deadly disease that spreads over a wide area.

“A mother bird will spread her wings over her babies to protect them from storms and predators. She will allow herself to be wounded to protect them. She keeps them warm and sheltered, and the baby birds feel safe in her embrace. Such is God’s fierce love for humanity.” Jeremiah Study Bible Notes

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 Samantha Kennedy on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

When I Am Afraid

Cindy Dawson

A Personal Story for Thursday, 6/11/26

“In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8 NIV 

Many years ago, when my son was a baby, I found a long snake skin in my home on two different occasions. I prayed this verse over and over every night until I fell asleep. We lived in this house for nine years and never saw a live snake. The Lord kept us safe. This is what I learned:

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
     In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.” Psalm 56:3-4 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 I Memorize Scripture

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for 6/10/26

“Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart.” Corrie ten Boom

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 on Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, DISCERNMENT

Battling Cultural Deceptions

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 6/9/26

When I see the beliefs that have taken hold of our culture, I wonder how people can be so utterly deceived. I learned a lot about the views of college students by watching videos of Charlie Kirk at colleges around the U.S.

Students confronted Charlie on topics like abortion and transgenderism. They claimed unborn babies are not human and can be aborted. They claimed a man can be a woman and a woman can be a man. Science proves these beliefs are false, yet college students, brainwashed by propaganda, believe these lies.

Deception is the devil’s ultimate weapon.

“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

God’s Word is our only protection against it.

“Indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5 NIV Read full chapter

How do we gain wisdom and understanding? By loving God’s Word.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 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

Bible and Scripture, Encouragement

Overcoming Anxiety with Faith and Prayer

Cindy Dawson

A Personal Testimony for Sunday, 6/7/26

One side effect of trauma is severe anxiety. That anxiety may vary in severity, sometimes controllable, sometimes out of your control.

Recently, I had to pick up my daughter, her husband, and her baby at the Nashville International Airport. The airport has changed a lot since the last time I picked someone up at arrivals.

They had moved the Cell Phone Waiting Area, and I couldn’t find it. Lost in heavy city traffic, I became extremely anxious. Not ordinary anxiety, but intense anxiety where your heart starts beating rapidly, and fear threatens to control your thoughts.

Immediately, I remembered Philippians 4:6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.”

I started to sing the message of this Scripture to the tune of How Great Thou Art. Start the music!

🎶 Oh Lord, My God, I will not be anxious.

For I will pray, and offer up my praise.

With heartfelt thanks, I turn to You, my Savior.

And the peace of God

Will guard my heart and mind.

This peace You give

Transcends all understanding.

It stills my thoughts and heals my anxious soul.

Oh Lord, My God, I will not be anxious.

For I will pray, and offer up my praise.

With heartfelt thanks, I turn to You, my Savior.

The peace of God will guard my heart and mind.

This peace You give transcends all understanding.

It stills my thoughts and heals my anxious soul.

(repeat until calm)

I don’t know how I came up with this idea. It just popped into my mind, which could only be attributed to the grace of our faithful God, who knows how to rescue His children in times of need. I calmed down, and the next thing I knew, I had my daughter and her precious family in the car, and we were headed to my home!

“I will praise the Lord at all times.
    I will constantly speak his praises.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;” Psalm 34:1, 4-5 NLT Read full chapter

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 Rod Long on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Why Reading the Bible Matters

Cindy Dawson

Years ago, when I left the Word of Faith movement, I was looking for the real truth, so I read the New Testament three times in a row. Before this, I had based what I believed mostly on books recommended to me by church leaders, books available in our church bookstore.

On reflection, I would say that many Christians who follow false teaching do so because of books they read about the Bible, which are often based largely on the author’s experiences and less on Bible study. These teachers often take verses out of context.

In case you’re wondering, the first teaching that I questioned was what is often called the prosperity gospel. It teaches that God wants you to be rich, and if you give enough money, you’ll get back at least ten times as much money. These preachers are living extravagant lives. For more about this, read my post, What Does the Bible Say About the Prosperity Gospel? HERE

As I read and reread the New Testament, I learned that, more than anything else, the Bible emphasized loving others. These are some of the verses that stood out to me:

“The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

“Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

“Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.” (Romans 13:8)

“My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” (1 John 3:18)

“No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us. We are sure that we live in union with God and that he lives in union with us, because he has given us his Spirit.” (1 John 4:12-13)

“Do all your work in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)

“Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)

“To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.” (1 Peter 3:8-9)

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a

Friends, READ YOUR BIBLE every day.

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

Scriptures are from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Brooke Cable on Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Did the Holocaust Really Happen?

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 6/3/26

“The same day [April 12, 1945] I saw my first horror camp. It was near the town of Gotha. I have never felt able to describe my emotional reactions when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency. Up to that time I had known about it only generally or through secondary sources. I am certain, however that I have never at any other time experienced an equal sense of shock.”

 “I visited every nook and cranny of the [concentration] camp because I felt it my duty to be in a position from then on to testify firsthand about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief or assumption that the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda. I sent communications to both Washington and London, urging the two governments to send instantly to Germany a random group of newspaper editors and representative groups from the national legislatures. I felt that the evidence should be immediately placed before the American and British publics in a fashion that would leave no room for cynical doubt.”

Of all these [Displaced Persons] the Jews were in the most deplorable condition. For years they had been beaten, starved, and tortured.”

General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, WWII

General Eisenhower foresaw a day when the horrors of the Holocaust might be denied. He invited the media to document the scene. He compelled Germans living in the surrounding towns and any soldier not fighting at the front to witness the atrocities for themselves. They did.

The proof is readily available.

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

Finding Faith in Life’s Journey

Cindy Dawson
Henry and I walk by this 200-year-old tree every day. It inspires me to ponder life’s mysteries. If you look closely, you can see my granddaughter standing in front of the tree.
Oh Mighty Tree

Oh mighty tree!
The stories you could tell.
You've seen many mighty stotms.
And yet you never fell.

I strive to be like you,
Strong in every way
With roots that grow deep down,
I will firmly stand.

I keep my hurts within.
But they can never win.
For God is on my side.
From Him I cannot hide.

He knows my every thought,
And yet He loves me still.
He holds my shaking hand.
He knows what He has planned.

I put my trust in Jesus.
He has never let me down.
His Word forever leads me.
And someday I’ll wear a crown!

I pray that you will trust Him.
He is worthy of our praise.
He will lead and guide you,
forever and always!

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20 NIV

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13 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