“If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:9-10 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Thomas Vimare on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
The surge of Christian “Best-Sellers” is a relatively new thing. Don’t be naive. Christian books are big business and lots of Christian authors are getting very rich writing them. Some Christian authors are making millions of dollars from book sales.
“The Christian market is a $1.2 billion market, around 10% of the broader US publishing market. Christians buy more books and spend more money on books than the average reader.” Jeremy Bouma, author
But have you noticed that small Christian bookstores have almost completely disappeared? That’s because secular publishers have bought out many of the independent presses. There is a lot of money to be had within the Christian book market. And secular publishers want in on it.
Brett Venable, who runs Mustard Seed bookstore in Milford, Del., defends Christian bookstores, pointing to the price advantages of the big chains and how many stores have been forced to depend on selling gifts to stay in business. But he notes a deeper problem throughout the Christian bookselling industry. “I am nowhere near as concerned about the effect of fewer Christian books being sold in Christian bookstores as I am about the poor theology being taught in the bestselling Christian books … It appears to me that the worst thing to happen is not the closing of Christian stores as a result of unfair business practices by publishers, but rather the propagation of loose theology making Christians more ‘spiritual’ but less godly.”
Although there are many excellent Christian books out there, we need to be thoughtful when selecting the books we read. Just because it’s a Best-Seller doesn’t mean it is good or that it’s reliable or that it’s consistent with Scripture. The Bible warns us about this and we should take heed.
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4: 3-4 NIV (Emphasis mine)
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV (Emphasis mine)
Christian, we need to know the Bible. We need to so know the truth of the Bible. We need to carefully evaluate every book we read, in light of its perfect and unchanging truths. A book is good only to the degree that it aligns with the perfect, infallible, inerrant, sufficient Word of God, the Bible.”
Tim Challies
Father, Give us discernment and lead us by your Holy Spirit. Give us a love for your precious Word so that we may know you better. Guide us into all truth. Thy Word is truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Sources:
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2014/11/13/christian-publishing/
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.” Psalm 25:12 NIV
Psalm 25:12 in all English translations
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Kouji Tsuru on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:10-11 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.”
Corrie Ten Boom
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Balazs Busznyak on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Rosie Sun on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Benoit Gauzere on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:9-10 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Carlos Magno on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
It really hurt my feelings. It was like stopping by your best friend’s house only to discover she was having a big party and you hadn’t been invited! I felt so left out and hurt. I felt like crying.
That morning, I had walked into the Women’s Bible Study and there were all my friends having a potluck that no one had told me about! Maybe I was being overly sensitive, and maybe this was an area of vulnerability for me, but I was very offended.
The Bible study teacher recognized that I was upset, and the next time I saw her she gave me an index card with some Scripture references on it. She probably had no idea that it was going to change my life. As I opened my heart to God’s Word, something wonderful happened! The Truth set me free! These are the Scriptures:
“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to OVERLOOK AN OFFENSE.” Proverbs 19:11
“He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9
“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 12:16
This happened to me over 30 years ago, but the devil has used the same tactics since the beginning of time to battle against God’s people. He has used it on me. He will use it on you.
Read about David in 1 Samuel 17:28-33 below. Notice that David had to overlook the offenses thrown at him before he could kill the giant. Satan tried to stop God’s plan for David, but he couldn’t do it because David overlooked the offense.
“When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David refused to be offended.
Over the years, God has continued to reveal to me how powerful it is to walk in love, and that means overlooking offenses.
“(Love) is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 1 Corinthians 13:5 AMP
The devil will send offenses our way, but when we choose God’s way and walk in love, Satan’s attack will not prevail.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Has anyone ever offended you? Insulted you? Put you down? If so, consider this: Love is strong spiritual warfare!
You may be thinking, “How is this spiritual warfare?”
Consider the evil attack on Jesus when he was crucified. (1 Peter 2:21-23)
21 “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[a]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
It is following Him and walking in his steps that empower us for spiritual battle.
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
“Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.” Psalm 47:6-7 NIV
With Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Claus H. Godbersen on Unsplash
realchristianwomen.blog
Real Christian Women 