Tag: hope

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

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Christian

God Knows Us Completely

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 4/30/26

“O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.” Psalm 139:1-4 NLT

My thoughts: God knows us better than we know ourselves. The Psalmist goes on to say,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (vv 23-24) Read full chapter

May this be our prayer today.

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 from Getty Images on Unsplash

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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

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Christian

The Centurion’s Humility

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 4/28/26

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment. Matthew 8:5-13 NIV Read full chapter

The centurian came to Jesus:

In humility (“I do not deserve to have you come under my roof)”,

Understanding Jesus’ authority (v.9),

And with “great faith.” 

May the Lord teach us to approach Him this way when we come to Him with our needs. May we ponder who He is before we begin our prayer.

Note: In Luke’s account, the centurion sends intermediaries. Both Matthew and Luke are correct. In the 1st century, it was understood that when a representative was sent to speak for his master, it was as if the master was speaking himself.

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

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Christian

God Hears Your Prayers

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Monday, 4/27/26

Several years ago, I received an urgent prayer request from an orphanage in Africa asking me to pray for 2 young children with Malaria. Their fever was raging.

Although my heart was breaking, I felt like my prayers did little good. If my prayers were working, wouldn’t I feel something?

Not necessarily. Faith has nothing to do with feelings. It’s not an emotion that can be mustered up. Faith is believing God’s promises, believing His Word, and trusting Him to accomplish His will.

When we feel like our prayers aren’t making it out of the room, we need to remember what God has said in His Word.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV

Prayer isn’t something we have to do. It’s something we get to do. As the old hymn says, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

ABOUT What A Friend We Have in Jesus : What a Friend We Have in Jesus was written by Joseph M. Scriven. Joseph Scriven’s life was filled with many trials and sorrows. His fiancée died in a drowning accident on the eve of their wedding in 1844. Eventually, he found love again, but his plans for marriage were dashed again when his new bride-to-be died after a short illness in 1855. That same year, he received news from Ireland that his mother was terribly ill. He wrote a poem to comfort her called “Pray Without Ceasing”. It was later set to music and renamed What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Scriven did not have any intentions nor dream that his poem would be published in the newspaper and later become a favorite hymn among the millions of Christians around the world.

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 Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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Christian, Women

Am I a Light in the Darkness?

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Reflection for Sunday, 4/26/26

 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 NIV

“Our call is to engage with the world. Our mission as light in the darkness has not ended. In fact, it is greater now than it has ever been as the time of the end draws near.” Amir Tsarfati

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 Duangphorn Wiriya on Unsplash

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

What is Yom HaZikaron?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Tuesday, 4/21/26

Yom HaZikaron is the day of national remembrance in Israel to commemorate all the soldiers and people who lost their lives during the struggle to defend the State of Israel. On this day we mourn and remember our fallen soldiers and all lives lost by terror. Yom HaZikaron, which goes by the Jewish calendar, begins with a siren at 8:00 in the evening. As soon as the siren is heard, Israeli citizens stop whatever they’re doing, wherever they are, and stand firm to honor those they’ve lost. People driving on highways stop their cars in the middle of the road to get out and stand in remembrance. A whole office will stop working and a family having dinner will stop eating in order to spend a minute in respectful silence. MORE


170 soldiers have fallen since Israel’s last Memorial Day. Their names are now added to the 25,648 who have fallen since 1860, when Jews left the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City to establish new neighborhoods in the Holy Land.


“America joins the people of Israel in observing Yom HaZikaron — Israel’s Memorial Day — and in honoring the fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism who have given their lives in defense of the Jewish State. May their memories forever be a blessing.” Ambassador Mike Huckabee

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

Psalm 122:6 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

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

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

This Sunday, Reflect on This:

Cindy Dawson

4/19/26

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.”

Harvey Stalker

““For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 AMP

Harvey Stalker quote from Alan Kearns’ Devotional Treasure

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes!

In His Love, Cindy

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

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

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Christian

Why Should We Care About Israel?

Cindy Dawson

I’ve often wondered what I would have done if I had lived in Germany during the Holocaust. Would I have just gone along, business as usual? Would I have buried my head in the sand? Or would I have faced the truth about what was going on and asked God what He wanted me to do? Would I have risked my life by hiding Jews?

The Holocaust was possible because of the lies and propaganda perpetuated by Hitler. Propaganda is a powerful weapon, and today it is more easily wielded than ever because of social media.

Today, Jews are under a demonic attack that hasn’t been seen since the Holocaust. I don’t want to bury my head in the sand. And I certainly don’t want to be deceived by the proliferation of propaganda and lies that abound in the news and social media today.

Even though it breaks my heart, I want to know the truth. Unfortunately, news services are not reliable sources of information because they only report the stories that conform to their narrative. News that does not fit that narrative will not be reported. Consider the words of Matti Friedman, former AP correspondent.

“In early 2009, for example, two colleagues of mine obtained information that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had made a significant peace offer to the Palestinian Authority several months earlier, and that the Palestinians had deemed it insufficient. This had not been reported yet, and it was—or should have been—one of the biggest stories of the year.”

Friedman goes on to say, “During the 2008-2009 Gaza fighting, I personally erased a key detail—that Hamas fighters were dressed as civilians and being counted as civilians in the death toll—because of a threat to our reporter in Gaza. (The policy was then, and remains, not to inform readers that the story is censored unless the censorship is Israeli).”

(You can read Friedman’s entire essay here: An Insiders Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth)

If you want to stay informed about the latest and most accurate news and developments concerning Israel and the world, I strongly recommend Amir Tsarfati’s Telegram page.

To sign up, go to Amir Tsarfati’s website, Behold Israel. Click on the NEWS tab and sign up for his Telegram page. There is a lot of information here that you may never see on any other news sites.

Amir Tsarfati is a believer in Jesus Christ, Bible teacher, and author who lives in Israel. Here is a post from Amir’s Telegram page on 1/1/24. You won’t see this on the news!

“For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—  I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.” Zechariah 2:8-9 NIV (emphasis mine)

God said, “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 NIV (emphasis mine)

“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” Genesis 13:14-15 NIV (emphasis mine)

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.” Psalm 122:6-9 NIV (emphasis mine)

By the way, ostriches don’t really bury their heads in the sand. Only humans do 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


Featured Photo: Chattanooga Times Free Press

According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the majority of children arriving at camps like Auschwitz were sent directly to the gas chambers upon arrival. Some, however, were chosen for dangerous science experiments or forced manual labor. Pictured here, child survivors of Auschwitz don adult-size prisoner jackets.

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