Tag: Jesus

Christian

Are You Expecting a Different Jesus?

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Monday, 8/17/26

The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians, saying, “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. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NIV

Do we do the same thing today as the Jews did 2000 years ago? Do we think that Jesus is a means to earthly treasures? Do we think it’s all about this present life instead of what awaits us in eternity?

When Jesus came to Earth, the Jews rejected Him because they expected a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman Empire and fix all their problems. They didn’t expect a gentle and meek Savior who would eat with sinners, teach love and forgiveness, and die on a cross.

The Messiah didn’t solve all their earthly problems. In fact, His followers were persecuted like He was. So why did He come?

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt.20:28

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:14 NIV

Do we think Jesus came to give us financial prosperity? The Bible says that those who think that godliness is a means to financial gain have a corrupt mind and have been robbed of the truth.

“These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:2-7 NIV (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

We must not become so consumed with what we think we need, following Him because of what He might do for us in this life, that we forget to follow Him just because of who He is.

 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37

Jesus came to free all people from the chains of spiritual darkness. Those who walk and live in darkness are most vulnerable to the enemy’s lies and deception. That is a dangerous place to live! (Think about the most ridiculous lies people believe in the world today.) Why do they believe such outrageous lies? Because they live in darkness.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 6:12

Hallelujah!

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 Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Why Didn’t the Pharisees Believe Jesus was the Messiah?

Cindy Dawson

One Sabbath day, Jesus healed a man born blind. Some people brought the man born blind to the Pharisees, who said,

“This man (Jesus) is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath”. (John 9:16) NIV

The Pharisees questioned the man and his parents about this. When the man born blind insisted that Jesus had healed him, they responded like this:

“Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. John 9:28-34 NIV Read full chapter

(Side note: When someone cannot refute what you’ve said, they insult you instead.)

The man’s response to the Pharisees reveals that this miracle (giving sight to a blind man) had never been performed before. In fact, this is a prophecy of the Messiah spoken by the prophet Isaiah.

“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened...” Isaiah 35:5-6 NIV

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
 to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:6-7 NIV

When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,

‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

He replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Luke 7:20-23 NIV

John would know that the Messiah would heal the blind in fulfillment of prophecy.

My question for you is this: How could the Pharisees, who were experts in the law, not recognize that Jesus was the Messiah? Did pride, ambition, and the love of money blind them from the truth?

Maybe that’s why the Bible adamantly warns us about the danger of these sins:

Pride and Arrogance: “Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 NIV

Ambition: “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” James 3:16 NIV

Love of Money: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:9-10 NIV

Father, teach us to love the truth and to obey your Word. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 🙏

“Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

In His Love, Cindy

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

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

Should the Church Preach Politics?

Cindy Dawson

One Sunday morning, I attended church virtually. The pastor delivered a powerful message that pointed to Christ. After that, another church service started. That pastor presented a powerful message, too, but powerful in a different way. I listened for a while, but I could hardly believe what I heard coming from the pulpit. It sounded more like a political rally than a church service.

I think we should carefully consider whether the local church should take a political stand. The United States is very divided right now along political lines.

The political preacher I referenced above really got under my skin because his beliefs were the opposite of mine. I know of another case where a Sunday School teacher took a political stance, but not everyone in this adult class agreed. This caused conflict between class members.

The temperature of political talk in the U.S. right now is hot! You can easily get into an argument, even with people in your own party! Emotions are high, and people are opinionated and outspoken.

So the question arises: Is the local church the place for political discussion and persuasion?

The U.S. is pretty much divided 50/50 politically. The way I figure it, a politically opinionated church will turn off all visitors of the opposite side. Do we really want to do that? Is our purpose political persuasion or sharing Christ? Does political persuasion turn people of differing opinions away? You bet it does!

I would suggest that preaching politics only encourages people who agree, and does nothing to change anyone’s mind.

The local church should be open to people of all political persuasions in an effort to lead people to Christ, disciple them, and teach the Word of God.

The point is this: If a church takes a political position, it shuts the door to about half of the people who might potentially attend and be led to Christ. Wouldn’t that slam the door in the face of many lost souls?

Nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus preach politics, nor does He command His disciples to do so. He is our example. His purpose was to save the lost, not to change the government. The Roman government of Jesus’ day was brutal and cruel, yet Jesus did not set out to change it. He was changing hearts.

We are commanded to love: Love our neighbor, love the Body of Christ, and even love our enemies. Our assignment is clear.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

The only hope for our nation is Jesus Christ. And not Jesus Christ dictated from Congress or the White House, but Jesus alive in us and our neighbors. And the only way for that to happen is for you and me to focus on making disciples by loving and reaching to people of all walks of life and background, regardless of their lifestyle, choices or political opinions. And, in order to do that, we have to tone down our politics and turn up our Jesus.”

Daryl Fulp, Missionary

Let us strive to obey the commands that Jesus has given us, and put our trust in Him alone.

In His Love, Cindy

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

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 Ernie Journeys on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Encouragement, forgiveness

Lord, Help Me Forgive

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Thursday, 7/30/26

Are you struggling to forgive someone? Does it seem impossible?  You can do it. God will help you. Remember this: Unforgiveness will destroy you, not them. Even science know that.

There is an enormous physical burden to being hurt and disappointed … Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health.”

Karen Swartz, M.D., director of the Mood Disorders Adult Consultation Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital

We can forgive others when we understand the depth of God’s forgiveness of our own sins. Crucifixion is the most brutal kind of execution. Yet Jesus pleaded with the Father to forgive them. He suffered heart-breaking rejection at the cross, yet He loved and forgave those responsible.

They crucified him and Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”    Luke 23: 34

Nothing we have to forgive can compare to His example of forgiveness. He suffered and died so that we would be forgiven for all the sins we have ever committed and even the ones we will commit in the future; He asks us to forgive others in return.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25 NIV

Paul knew that the sin of unforgiveness would give the devil a foothold. 

The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians, “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Our obedience to Christ protects us from the devil’s schemes.  You may not find the power to forgive within yourself, but through Christ, you can. Forgive as an act of your will. Your feelings will eventually change. The first step is to tell God that you forgive this person. 

Meditate on God’s promises, instead of meditating on the injustice. The more time you spend in His Word, in prayer and meditation, the less that injustice will have power to hurt you.

Those who won’t forgive show they have not accepted the fact of their own sinfulness and need for God’s forgiveness.

Thank Jesus for what He has done for you. It will destroy the power of the wrong to upset you. Peace and joy are already given to the child of God; God’s Word reveals how to live in it. We must trust and obey. When we choose to forgive, we begin to heal.

I have experienced things that were hard to forgive, but whenever those things cross my mind, I refuse to think about them. I consciously begin to think about something else. Sometimes that can be difficult. Ask God to help you. I’ve had to forgive some big things, but God has forgiven me of some big things as well.

There is only one way to forgive the unforgivable, and that is with God’s help. These Scriptures will strengthen and empower you to do it.

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:21-35 NIV

May God’s Word strengthen you today.

In His Love, Cindy

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

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

Choose to Trust the One Who Loves You

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Friday, 7/24/26

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

“So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
― George Muller

“George Mueller was a Christian evangelist and director of the Orphanage at Ashley Downs in Bristol, England during the 1800s. He is best remembered for his complete trust in God’s provision, never soliciting the community for financial donations nor accepting any government support. With this unique dependence on unsolicited gifts, his institution is estimated to have received and disbursed over £113 million in today’s money by the time of Mueller’s death.” CompellingTruth.org

Note: That would be over $151,453,900!

In His Love, Cindy

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

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 wisconsinpictures on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Do I Really Love Jesus?

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 7/23/26

How do we show Jesus that we love Him? He told His disciples,

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15 NIV

“Such love is not a matter of mere emotions, though emotion is not ruled out. Rather, true love is expressed in obedience. As Jesus loved the Father and obeyed him, so those who loved Jesus would in turn obey him.” Asbury Bible Commentary

Someone said, “Well, we all sin every day,” suggesting it would be impossible to obey Him fully. But isn’t that just an attempt to let ourselves off the hook?

If we truly love Jesus, we will obey His teaching because we trust Him. We will study our Bibles and seek to please Him. I’m not talking about being legalistic; I’m talking about desiring to follow Him, obey Him, and walk with Him each day.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

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

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 Richard Pasquarella on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Christian

A Whisper of His Power

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Monday, 7/20/26

God stretches the northern sky over empty space
    and hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He wraps the rain in his thick clouds,
    and the clouds don’t burst with the weight.
9 He covers the face of the moon,
    shrouding it with his clouds.
10 He created the horizon when he separated the waters;
    he set the boundary between day and night.
11 The foundations of heaven tremble;
    they shudder at his rebuke.
12 By his power the sea grew calm.
    By his skill he crushed the great sea monster.
13 His Spirit made the heavens beautiful,
    and his power pierced the gliding serpent.
14 These are just the beginning of all that he does,
    merely a whisper of his power.
    Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?” Job 26:7-14 NLT (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

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

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 Donna Elliot on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible prophecy, Christian

Why Is the Church Silent on Bible Prophecy?

Cindy Dawson

For Your Reflection, Tuesday, 7/7/26

I have been reading in my Bible about the kings and prophets of Israel. Much of it is prophecy, and I have found it fascinating because it explains a lot about our times. And there are many lessons for the Church in these pages, too. I am referring to all the books of the prophets, plus 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.

As I finish up this important study, I wonder why so many pastors ignore Bible prophecy. How is it even possible?

“Out of the 216 chapters found in the entire New Testament, did you know there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ? That means if you were to omit passages about prophecy, you would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. You would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books because that’s how many mention it. For every prophecy about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. Considering prophecy’s prominence in the Bible, how could any believer call it unimportant?”

Dr. David Jeremiah

And that’s just in the New Testament! Bible Scholars estimate that 27% to 28% of the Old Testament is prophecy. That’s a lot of the Bible to ignore! So I did some research to find out why.

One Christian author, Steve Lampman, suggests that fear is to blame (And we know where fear comes from: SATAN). Steve says,

“Fear of showing their lack of knowledge on the subject. Fear pastors may have of offending or scaring church members. Maybe the fear that people will stop coming and stop giving to support the church. Or maybe it’s the fear of them looking like a fringe group who take things to an extreme when other churches pulpits are silent on the subject. … There are many pastors who remain silent on Bible prophecy because they don’t understand and were never taught it in seminary. ” 

Steve Miller also attributes fear as the reason prophecy is not being taught in the church:

  1. A fear of generating Controversy and Division
  2. A fear of being viewed as sensational
  3. A fear of the Complicated and Unknown

Before I began this research, I didn’t expect to find that fear would be the culprit behind this neglect. But it seems to be so.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 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 HAN Mengqi on Unsplash

SOURCES:

https://www.stevelampman.com/why-pastors-dont-teach-on-one-quarter-of-the-bible/

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/why-should-we-study-prophecy?srsltid=AfmBOooICL-F6DS0vS-arwcCS94Vm3ZDbUrF2rm4-diS3rqKwm4BgO1m

https://harvestprophecy.com/why-are-some-churches-reluctant-to-teach-bible-prophecy

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

DOES THE LIGHT HURT YOUR EYES?

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Friday, 6/26/26

I have read so many great posts by the bloggers I follow! From time to time, I want to share some of the most provocative and inspiring ones.

DOES THE LIGHT HURT YOUR EYES? BY Steve Brewer, The Brew Is Amazing

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion [apostasy] occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”  (2 Thessalonians 2:1–4, NIV 1984). 

My Musings – What was true then is still true today.  The great apostasy or falling away from the truth of God’s Word must occur first.  The world has nothing to fall away from, so this must refer to a great part of the Church. 

A time when the truth does not move or convict as it once did.  An outright rejection of some or all of the truths contained in the Holy Scriptures that were once accepted by faith.  Claiming that what may have been true in the past is no longer so.  Or perhaps, asserting that it really doesn’t mean what was believed for all these centuries.  Are we really so much more enlightened than those who came before with our doubting, distorting, disputing, and denying? 

“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18, NIV).

 “Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me.’” (Matthew 26:31, NIV).  

My Advice –These are the words Jesus spoke to the eleven on the night He was betrayed.  And they all did, for a time.  Today, are we on the edge of “this very night” that Paul spoke about? As we see many denominations and congregations crumbling before our eyes, bowing to the pressure to conform to the culture rather than calling for the culture to be transformed, we must ask ourselves, “Where do we stand?” As the day gives way to night, we must

“choose for [ourselves] this day whom [we] will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14–15, NIV 1984).  

Stand firm, or fall away.  The time is fast approaching when the world will demand that you choose.  But more than they, so will the Master.

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 Richmond Fajardo on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Understanding the Bible: Why You Should Read All 66 Books

Cindy Dawson

If you want to know the Bible, you have to read the Bible, all of it, not just your favorite parts. If you don’t know the Bible well, you are vulnerable to deception. And that is exactly why so many Christians are deceived by false teaching.

The Bible consists of 66 books: The Old Testament (39 books) and the New Testament (27 books). If we are to understand the whole counsel of God’s Word, we must read and study all of it.

Every book of the Bible contributes to our knowledge of God. The Old Testament contains well over 400 verses and allusions that point to the coming Messiah. 

You can read the whole Bible in one year by reading for about 15 minutes per day. This is not difficult to do! I highly recommend it! I have been doing this since 2019, when my pastor shared a one-year Bible reading plan. It changed my life!

It seems like most Christians would rather read a book by a well-known minister rather than read their Bible, but remember this: Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. You will be surprised by how much you will learn!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV (emphasis mine)

In Psalm 119, King David wrote:

“I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.” vv15-16 (emphasis mine)

“Your statutes are my delight;
    they are my counselors.” v 24

“Your word, Lord, is eternal;
    it stands firm in the heavens.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations” vv89-90

“If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.” v92

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.” v105

“You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.” v114

“Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.” v165

Read the full chapter HERE.

No wonder God called David “a man after my own heart”! (Acts 13:22)

Ask God to give you a love for His Word.

God bless you, friends, as you seek to know Him more!

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

RealChristianWomen.blog