Tag: truth

Christian

When Life Isn’t Fair

Cindy Dawson

Has something very unfair happened to you? It might be an unfaithful spouse, slander/ lies, you lost your job,  or anything you consider completely UNFAIR). You probably can’t believe it’s really happening to you. If your answer is yes, this is God’s promise for you:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him …” Romans 8:28 NIV

You might be thinking, “Nothing good could come from this!” But hang on….

This is one of my favorite promises. Believing the promise got me through many hard times in my life, and in the end God delivered. He worked things for good. God has done this in my life and He will do it for you!

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

While reading my Bible, I was struck by this verse. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I began to think about the story of Joseph and how there was so much to learn from his example.

Joseph was a young man who loved God, but that didn’t matter to those who hated him. They were driven by jealousy.

Because of this jealousy, the young man suffered through many great injustices. Instead of becoming bitter and vindictive, he looked to God for help. 

Let me tell you the end of the story. In Genesis 50: 20-21, Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good …” Stop and think about that for a minute!

Has someone done something to you with the intention to harm you? Remember: It isn’t over until God turns it around for good!

Insights from the life of Joseph have helped me through many trials. As I summarize, put yourself in Joseph’s place. Think about it happening to you.

Joseph’s brothers hated him, really hated him! They were so jealous of him, they plotted to kill him and and then tell their father that he was killed by a wild animal.

One of the brothers talked the others into just leaving him in an empty well. (He planned to secretly come back and rescue Joseph.) But the brothers saw a caravan of merchants approaching and decided to sell Joseph to them.

The merchants traveled to Egypt and sold Joseph to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. (Can things get worse?) Yes!

Potiphar put Joseph in prison for tying to rape his wife (something he didn’t do). After languishing in this dungeon for years, Joseph finally got out of prison. This is where things get better. Joseph was promoted to the highest position in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

When Joseph was sold by his brothers, he was 17. When he became leader over all of Egypt, he was 30. Thirteen years of unfair life events! But the Bible says that when he was sold to Potiphar, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered…” Genesis 39:2

When Joseph was put in prison, “the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” Genesis 39: 21 & 23 

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him …” Romans 8:28 NIV

God will work everything for good in your life “if you love him”. It doesn’t say “if you have been a pretty good Christian and always went to church. It says, “if you love him.” It doesn’t say “if you have never sinned”. It says “if you love him”. It doesn’t say “if you deserve it”. It says, IF YOU LOVE HIM”.

If you are a Christian and you love God, He will work all things for good! Trust Him.

 A PRAYER

Father in Heaven, Your word promises that in all things, you will work for the good of those who love you. I love you Lord, and surrender my life to you, for You, O God, are my refuge and my shield, I have put my hope in your word. Those who know your name trust in you, for you have never forsaken those who seek you. I trust in your unfailing love. I love you, O Lord, my strength. You are my rock and my fortress, my deliverer! To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul, in you I trust. O Lord, you are close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit. How priceless is your unfailing love. I will not fear, for you are with me. Thank you, Lord, for your precious word, for your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. I love you, O Lord, my Savior and my Strength. Amen

(Inspired from the Psalms – Through the Psalms, we learn how to praise Him. It will lead us into His presence. )

Read all about Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50

 There is so much more to learn! God will speak encouragement to your heart. 

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  

Bible, Christian

What’s In YOUR Closet?

Cindy Dawson

I spotted a girl in a strange looking outfit. (Kids have some crazy ideas about fashion in middle school.) From across the cafeteria, I tried to see what kind of shirt she was wearing, but couldn’t make out the words. It was something I’d never seen before.

I gazed out at the students as they ate their lunch. They were laughing loudly, talking loudly and having fun. Eventually, I made my way to the other side of the cafeteria. She was a beautiful girl, but my heart sank like lead when I saw what was written on her shirt. It said “Valvoline”.

She wore a wrinkled plaid skirt with the discarded shirt of someone who serviced cars at an instant oil change center. Heart-sick, I looked around at the other girls. Many wore Seaside Beach tee shirts, college team tees, Under Armour, and other designer clothes. The contrast shocked me.

What would it be like to go to Middle School wearing a Valvoline work shirt because that was all you had to wear? Not cool! 

And in middle school – the supreme goal is: be cool!

I thought about my own children, grown now, but never having to do without – well, anything! I thought, “Why have I been so blessed?” God answered my question.

” From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48

It made me think. I definitely fall in the “been given much” group. That means God demands a lot from me and He asks much more from me than from others.

I can’t help everyone. I know that. But I can listen and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That is my responsibility as a Christian.

We must all take an account of our lives.  Do our children have to wear cast-aside Valvoline shirts to school?  Probably not.

I don’t know what God might ask me to do next, but when He asks I’ll remember the Valvoline Girl, and I won’t be able to ignore the still small voice asking me to help.

What does God’s Word say about it?

“But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?” 1 John 3:17 AMP

“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;” Psalm 41:1

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Proverbs 19:17

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

“… we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35 NIV

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:35-40

With Love, 

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This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog 

 

Christian

Spiritual Warfare: It’s Not For Everyone

Cindy Dawson

If you are praying for someone who is in bondage, you are engaged in spiritual warfare. It could be bondage to drugs, alcohol, spiritual blindness, pornography, gambling, or something else. There’s a long list of chains.

“For 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

I have been asking the Lord to teach me about spiritual warfare. I know that countless numbers of books have been written about it, but I want the Holy Spirit to teach me from the Word of God.

This morning my reading passage happened to be Joshua, chapters 3 through 7 – the fall of Jericho. I encourage you to read this and think about how their physical warfare might relate to our spiritual warfare.

The Lord instructed Joshua concerning how they would cross the Jordan and take the city of Jericho. I was struck by several things.

First of all (and most importantly), the battle was won by the Lord, not by the Israelites and their own strength. It is the mighty power of God that breaks yokes.  “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.” Joshua 6:2 NIV

Insight #1: In spiritual warfare, the battle is won by the Lord.

Secondly, they didn’t always understand why they should do certain things. Obedience was paramount. “March around the city … for six days … Have seven priests carry trumpets …” Joshua 6:3-4 NIV  Many times I have been led by the Holy Spirit to do something and only saw the significance of it months later. They didn’t know why marching around the walls of Jericho was necessary, but they did it anyway.

Insight #2: If you are engaged in spiritual warfare, make sure you are being obedient to God in all things in your life. We can ask for His help to be obedient.

Thirdly, spiritual warfare is not for the immature or half-hearted believer. It’s serious business.

Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord… Keep away from the devoted things so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” Joshua 6:16-19 NIV

When I read this, I immediately thought about the tithe. There have been times in my life when I gave 20%. There have been times when I didn’t give any tithe at all. To be honest, I never thought much about it. I gave when I had plenty and didn’t give when I had little. All I can say is, this hit me so hard that I stopped dead in my tracks, calculated my tithe, and wrote the check for Sunday morning.

Why? Because when Achan kept what belonged to God it brought destruction to the people. They were routed by the enemy when they went up to fight and many were killed. They were defeated in the battle against Ai because of disobedience and greed. Joshua 7:4-5

Insight #3: If you expect to win the battle, make sure you are giving to the Lord what is His.

In Romans 15:4, it says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us…” What I have written in my blog today is only one small insight into spiritual warfare, but I believe it is what the Holy Spirit is teaching me now. 

Please share the personal insights into spiritual warfare the Holy Spirit has given you. Your thoughts are welcome.

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

Stirring Up Hope for the Forsaken

Cindy Dawson

Chris G Thelen's avatar140 Character Christian

Wednesday Walk Though the Bible, Matthew 5:1-12 & 7:28-29 (NIV)

#WednesdayWalk, an occasional exploration of what unknown people might have seen or felt when they witnessed the events in the Bible. This post is from the perspective of a person who encounters Jesus teaching the Beatitudes.

It was another hot day. The dust swirled around my sandals as I hurried along the path. Small stones crunched under my feet as I walked on the barren dirt. My mouth was dry from the heat as sweat dripped down my forehead and back. I was focused on fetching the baskets my father needed when I caught a glimpse of a large crowd on a hillside. I stopped and noticed the people were gathered around a man. “Why would so many people stand and listen to this man in heat like this?” I asked myself.

I hesitated a moment, curious as to why…

View original post 409 more words

Christian

Nobody Knows Science Like God Does

Cindy Dawson

I discovered the most amazing fact reading my Bible this morning! At first, it didn’t make sense. Normally, I would just skip over it and keep reading, but today I didn’t. After rereading it several times, I searched Google.

I didn’t expect anything useful to turn up, but I gave it a try anyway. But alas, I’m putting the cart before the horse, so let’s start at the beginning. (Genesis 30, paraphrased)

Jacob worked diligently for Laban for 14 years in order to marry Rachel whom he dearly loved. For many years after that, he continued to toil for Laban with all his strength. Laban cheated Jacob many times. After twenty years, Jacob asked Laban to allow him to return to his homeland with his wives and children.

Laban pleaded with Jacob to stay because he had prospered while Jacob tended his flocks. Laban said, “Name your wages and I will pay them.”

So Jacob said, “I will go on tending your flocks if you let me remove from your flocks every speckled or spotted sheep and goat and every dark colored lamb. They will be my wages. Then we will know which are mine and which are yours.”

Laban agreed, but that same day, Laban removed all the spotted sheep and goats and dark colored lambs from his flock. He put them in the care of his sons and separated them from the herds under Jacob’s care.

That was shifty. Now how will Jacob obtain his wages? The spotted goats and sheep have all been removed from the herd.

Obviously, Laban didn’t understand genetics because animals born with a dominant trait (pure white) can still have alleles for the recessive trait, in this case spotted or speckled.

In other words, Jacob didn’t have any spotted animals, but the solid animals could still reproduce a spotted baby. This is where the phenomenon comes in!

“37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.” Genesis 30:37-39 NIV

Much like my (almost) 3-year old granddaughter, I kept asking, “Why? Why? Why would he do that?” How could the peeled branches affect the color of the offspring?

I asked Google and the answer astounded me.

Recent scientific discoveries reveal that what a parent eats can also affect their genes, and therefore will affect their offspring’s characteristics. It’s not up to genes alone, like we once thought.

For example, “a study published in August (2003) in Molecular and Cellular Biology by Dr. Waterland and Duke’s Randy Jirtle showed that in a particular strain of mice, fortifying the pregnant and nursing mother’s diet with four nutrients shifted babies’ coat color from yellow to brown.”¹

These baby mice were genetically identical, yet a change in the diet of the pregnant and nursing mothers is the reason for the color change in the offspring. Incredible!

One of the nutrients fed to the mice was vitamin B12 found in (you guessed it) almonds!

Jacob placed the almond and other branches in the water whenever the strongest animals were there. That way the strongest animals gave birth to spotted babies. In this way, Jacob grew wealthy and owned large flocks.

Bible scholars believe the book of Genesis was written by Moses between 1446 and 1406 B.C. Today, scientists are starting to understand how diet can affect the color of an animal’s offspring. That’s incredible!

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Photo by Marguerite Rami on Unsplash

Sources:

¹Epigenetics may have many roles, BY SUE GOETNICK AMBROSE, Dallas Morning News 2 NOVEMBER 2003, Dallasnews.com

Genesis 29 and 30

Christian

Can’t Sleep?

Cindy Dawson

One day, I was looking for a particular toy for my son. Stepping on my tippy toes, I blindly reached into a large box on a high shelf in my closet and scooped up a handful of small toys.

As I held it up to see if I had the desired toy, this is what I saw: Twined around the toys was a 3 foot-long snake skin! Startled and panic-stricken, I quickly threw it all into the air and screamed!

At this time in my life, I was terrified of snakes, mice, lizards, and all creepy creatures in general. I’m happy to report that 30 years later, not so much.

The problem was, I couldn’t sleep at night. What with (who knows how many) snakes loose in the house!

Now this happened during the days of heated waterbeds, and we slept in one. In my imagination, this would be the exact place a snake would slither into during the middle of the night.

What’s a waterbed, you ask? Well, you can google it. Now back to the story….

“Lucky” for me (tongue in cheek), I happened upon a Bible verse that set me free from this fear. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

Every night when I went to bed, this was my prayer. I passionately thanked God for His promise and repeated it over and over until I went to sleep. I was putting my faith and trust in God and in His Word; it carried me through a very scary time.

This is why it is so important to make Bible study a priority. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart when I read this verse. God did keep me safe. I was able to sleep peacefully, and eventually we were able to move to a better house.

Wherever I go, and whatever comes my way, I will trust in God’s Word.

The more I study God’s Word, the more I trust in Him.

“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. Psalm 119:92

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119: 105

“You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:114

This is My Journey Unscripted.

With Love, 

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Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bible, Christian

Love Is Strong Spiritual Warfare

Cindy Dawson

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 in to the Women’s Bible Study and there were all my friends having a pot luck 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. He used it in the past.

Read about David in I Samuel, chapters 16 and 17. Count the number of times David overlooked an offense before he slew the giant. Satan tried to stop God’s plan for David, but he couldn’t do it because David overlooked the offense.

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 self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured.” I 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 of sober mind, be watchful. Your adversary who is a slanderer, namely the devil, as a lion roaring in fierce hunger, is constantly walking about, always seeking someone to be devouring.” 1 Peter 5:8 (Wuest)

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.

“… 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.”

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. 1 Peter 2:21-23

It is following Him and walking in his steps that empowers us for spiritual battle.

The Bible says, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Proverbs 25:28

It is only as we recognize that anger, resentment, self-pity, and unforgiveness are nothing but the attack launched against us by the devil, that we can refuse to be offended. This is spiritual warfare: Love vs. Evil. We can not allow our emotions to govern our life or we will be like a city without walls (defenseless).

The Apostle Paul said, “And I  pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ … Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…” Ephesians 3:18-20

With Love, 

Cindy

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

Christian

How to Pray Effectively For an Unbeliever … When You Don’t Know What to Say

Cindy Dawson

Whether I feel defeated or victorious, strong or weak, praying God’s Word is always effective. I wrote the following prayer so that I could remember to acknowledge God’s promises when I pray, regardless of how I feel.

Lord, I pray that you will send your workers into ______’s life to plant the seed and water it, for You, O Lord, will make it grow.

I pray that You will open _____’s heart to pay attention to what is said. Take out his heart of stone and give him a tender heart toward You. Lord, make your light shine in his heart that he may know Christ.

I pray You will grant him repentance and lead him to a knowledge of the truth. I pray he will come to his senses and escape from the trap of the devil.

I pray You will rip away the bondage that holds him away from You.

I know You are not slow in keeping your promise, but you are patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Father, help _____ see his need for a Savior and to know he must confess his sins, repent, believe, and live a fruitful life. Help him choose Your mercy and Your gift of grace, to believe with his heart and confess with his mouth, Jesus is Lord.

Heal his heart and heal his mind, O God. for You heal the broken-hearted. You bring rest to the weary.

I pray you will guide me and use me to show the love of Jesus to _____. Give me opportunities to be Jesus to _____. Help me to be loving, kind, and forgiving, showing compassion and patience.

Help me to be persistent in prayer daily and to never give up or become discouraged. Help me to pray with faith and trust, knowing you hear my prayers.

I pray Your will be done in _____’s life, just as it is in heaven. I pray that You will be glorified through his salvation.

I pray with confidence, knowing that Your Word says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Keep teaching me how to pray and make my ears attentive to your voice.

And I pray that _____ may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that he may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Taken from Ephesians 3:20-21)

I ask these things in Jesus’ precious name. Amen

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Are you praying for someone who is openly rejecting Jesus as Savior?

With little observable evidence that my prayers have been effective, I will pray in faith. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrew 11:1

Even though it has been almost 3 years, I know God is working.   “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 (He doesn’t say when.)

I pray God’s Word because the Word of God “is living and active and full of power. “ Hebrew 4:12 AMP

God’s says, “(My Word) will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

And so, I wrote this prayer based on my faith in God’s Word. While still seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will pray it everyday for someone I love. You can pray it, too.

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

Scripture References

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-6

” … in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:25-26

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 11:19)

 “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14).

“… the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”                       2 Corinthians 4:4 

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”                 2 Corinthians 4:6

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”     2 Peter 3:9

“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian

To the Atheist I Love (Continued)

Cindy Dawson
Dear J,    I continue to pray for you daily. I know that someday you will come to your senses and trust the Father and His son, Jesus Christ. God loves you and wants to carry your burdens. For some time, I have asked the Lord to teach me how to pray the effectual prayer that avails much, so that my prayers for you will be answered. It is God’s will for you to believe in Him. The wonderful blessing of having a relationship with Him is there, waiting for you to take it. 
I have thought a lot about what you said, “I’d like to have the comfort of believing what you believe, it simply doesn’t exist for me.” If that were true, you would believe, because unlike believing in Buda, or any other false god or false religion, Jesus Christ is true and the Holy Spirit is working to bring you to a knowledge of the truth. You only have to seek truth.
It is hard for you because you have hardened your heart. Ask God to soften your heart, so that you will be open to truth. I urge you to read the New Testament and ask God to reveal Himself to you.
I love you dearly and nothing you say to me will change that.

Love,    C

Jesus said to them, 14“The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”      Mark 4:15-20

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog

Christian

The Devil is Still Around!

Cindy Dawson

“… that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world … ” Revelation 20:2

Have you ever wondered how the devil attacks Christians? The Bible says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) I think Peter used the roaring lion illustration for a reason! 

I Peter 4:1 says to “…arm yourselves with the same attitude (that is in Christ)…”  It doesn’t say to have the same attitude as Christ. It says to ARM yourselves with it!

I haven’t been able to get those words out of my mind for days. To arm yourself means to equip yourself with weapons.  The mind of Christ, or having the same attitude as Christ, is our weapon against the devil!

I knew I needed to learn more about the attitude that equips me for battle with the devil. After all, a “roaring lion” is prowling around, looking for someone that is unprotected and unarmed! To prowl means to search stealthily, implying he is difficult to detect. He is sneaky.

What is the mind of Christ? What is His attitude? First of all, the mind of Christ is completely unselfish. He gave His life for us. He loves us. He put us above His own needs and desires. He sought the will of the Father, not His own. He had no time for sin. He sought the glory of God the Father. He was willing to suffer. Early in the morning, He prayed. In humility, He became a servant.

When we obey God and allow Him to transform us into a new creation, we begin to think like Jesus. We become less self-centered and begin to care for others more than ourselves.

I realize that there have been times when the devil tried to “devour” me. He attacked me with the purpose of dragging me away from God and what God called me to do. Because I was not thinking with the mind of Christ, the devil was able to get a foothold. I was focused on what I wanted (what I thought I needed.)  I clung to my selfish desires because, well, I needed to! (It was a big mistake!)

But when we think like Jesus, we are well armed against the devil’s schemes. I see it now. I wish I had seen it earlier. 

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)  The Bible tells us how to protect ourselves against the devil. He tells us how to arm ourselves. 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God. 18 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: 10-18)

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ” Philippians 2:5-11

I pray that my blog will inspire you to search God’s Word and learn more about the mind of Christ, the attitude that was in Christ. His Word is filled with precious promises and leads us faithfully to Jesus. 

With Love, Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

realchristianwomen.blog