Tag: Jesus

Christian

To Be a Woman After God’s Own Heart

Cindy Dawson

“I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22

The key to being a man or woman “after God’s own heart” is to be surrendered to His will and to put your trust in Him alone.

Stand outside tonight and ponder the stars. Those stars were scattered across the sky by God’s mighty hand. They are so far away that even though many of them are larger than the sun, they look like tiny points of light.

Did you know that our galaxy, the Milky Way, has approximately 100 billion stars? But the Milky Way is not the only galaxy in the universe… There are about 10 billion galaxies in the observable universe!¹

Just imagine the enormity of what we can’t even see! Our God is a mighty God. This is the God that we know and trust!

How can we know what God wants us to do? How can His plan be carried out if we don’t know what it is?

We must trust the Lord, study the Word ,and spend time in prayer. 

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

God reminds me that “we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) Sheep aren’t that smart.  They need endless attention and oversight. They are unable to take care of themselves. They need a shepherd. It’s not by accident that Scripture compares us to sheep.

David was a shepherd boy. He learned about God as he cared for his flocks. He knew everything about the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. He writes, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. Jesus said, “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” John 10:2-5

As we spend time in the Word and in prayer, He leads us.

Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

If we are surrendered to the Lord, if our heart seeks after Him, we are doing our part. God will carry out His plan. He will do it. He will make that happen. He is the Good Shepherd. He has promised to lead us and we can trust Him.

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

References: 1 https://scienceline.ucsb.edu/index.html

Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash

Christian

Friday’s Verse, 6/12/20

Cindy Dawson

“You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Christian

Thursday’s Verse, 6/11/20

Cindy Dawson

“May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 TLB

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 6/9/20

Cindy Dawson

“He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
 He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.” Psalm 18:16-19 NLT

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by Nghia Le on Unsplash

Christian

Sunday’s Verse, 6/7/20

Cindy Dawson

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,  set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by Patrick Gillespie on Unsplash

Christian

Spiritual Forces of Evil

Cindy Dawson

Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, if you’re a child of God you know that the chaos we are experiencing in our world is the assault of the enemy.

FACT 1: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV

Although we tend to try to fight these spiritual battles in the flesh (i.e. Facebook posts, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), the only real victory will come through using our spiritual weapons.

The good news is this: We have been given the armor and weapons we need to fight the fight. Don’t give up in exasperation.

FACT 2: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,” Ephesians 6:13

This is the time to think about and meditate on the full armor of God, what it means, and make sure we are wearing it every day.

FACT 3: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.“ Ephesians 6:14-17

Let’s Break It Down:

  1. Belt of Truth: God’s Word is truth. Victory in spiritual warfare starts with truth. His Word is Truth and that’s where we’ll find answers.
  2. Breastplate of Righteousness: Our righteousness comes from Christ and it protects our heart. May God create a tender heart in all of us.
  3. Feet fitted with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace: We cannot fight with arguments or violence. Our readiness to fight spiritual battles comes through the Gospel of Peace.
  4. The Shield of Faith: The soldier’s leather-covered shield was sometimes soaked in water to extinguish flaming arrows. Likewise, our faith in God’s Word destroys the schemes of Satan.
  5. The Helmet of Salvation: The Helmet protected the soldier’s head. Since the primary battlefield in spiritual warfare is the Christian’s mind, the helmet of salvation protects us against the lies Satan uses to attack our minds.
  6. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: This is our one offensive weapon. Interestingly, the Greek word translated “word” here is rhema. It refers to a particular saying of God that has special application for a given situation, whereas logos, also translated “word” in other texts, refers to the Bible as a whole. Jesus fought the devil saying, “It is written …” See Matthew 4: 1-11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A1-11&version=NIV

“The Bible as a whole is an armory from which to select swords for specific battles. Jesus illustrated the use of the “rhema of God” in his victory over Satan in the wilderness.”

David Jeremiah Study Bible Notes (p. 1645)

The command: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives ,,,” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

We must pray for our country, our leaders, and our neighbors with confidence and boldness. It is the Lord’s command to pray for and love our neighbor. It’s what He wants us to do in response to current events. We must be obedient. We must banish thoughts that it “won’t do any good anyway.” That’s the lie of the devil. Put on your “helmet”!

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Army of the Lord, We know what we’re up against (spiritual forces of evil) and we know what to do about it (pray). Do it now!

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

All Scripture references are from NIV.

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Thursdays’s Verse, 6/4/20

Cindy Dawson

“I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1: 3-6 NIV

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 6/2/20

Cindy Dawson

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Sunday’s Verse, 5/31/20

Cindy Dawson

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
    All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!” Psalm 111:10 NLT

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Christian

Tired of Being Sick and Tired? Try Peace!

Cindy Dawson

Are you dragged down by bad news? Tired of Coronavirus? Tired of political lies and shenanigans? Tired of murders, riots, and racism? Pretty much sick and tired of it all?

Well, I’ve got some good news! There is something we can do to bring our minds out of the depression brought on by the problems of the world.

While Paul languished in a Roman prison and the Philippian church was enduring severe persecution, Paul encouraged the Philippians to rejoice and be glad. He said,

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 NIV

In other words, don’t think about all the problems we face. Instead, think about things to be glad about.

We can let our minds be dominated by bad news or we can follow Paul’s admonition and set our minds on all things praiseworthy, lovely and true. The Philippians had good reason to be depressed and discouraged, but Paul told them that there was something else they could do. And that’s what we need to do today!

Make a decision to rejoice and be glad. Make a decision to think about what is noble, pure, and admirable. Avoid negative Facebook rants and don’t obsess on the news. I want to be informed, but I don’t want to watch the same news more than once.

Paul knew the Philippians would be worried about him. Roman prisons were horrific! Historians describe Rome’s Mamertine Prison as a former cistern – a dungeon in a well that was a dozen feet below ground. It was small, dark, dank, and stone-cold. (Jeremiah Study Bible)

But Paul said this:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

It they could experience the peace that passes understanding then, so can we today. God has made that provision for His children. Jesus said,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 NIV

What are you thankful for today? Make a list of all the beautiful people you know and write down at least one thing that makes them special. Watch your mood change as you obey God’s Word and trust Him to give you the peace we so desperately need.

With Love,

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog