Reading The Holy Bible

I encourage every member within the body of Christ to read The Holy Bible also known as The Word of God on a daily basis. Without regularly reading it, people revert back to their old or former selves. It becomes evident in the way people think, talk, and act in life.

God's word is meant to help people to actually live the Christian life; learn and grow in a personal relationship; walk by faith and not by sight; learn and grow in new identity; learn and know specific purpose; gain knowledge about the Kingdom; receive personal revelation; and so much more.

There are a variety of options in the goal to reading the Bible whether through personal devotionals, a Bible reading plan, Bible studies, and/or a combination of the different options. Every person needs to intentionally read God's word for your mind, your health, your life. Choose to learn and grow spiritually and otherwise. As a result, you will reap the benefits and be the best person that God has created, called, chosen you to be for His purpose and plan.

(See Joshua 1:8; Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 4:4; John 19; Acts 1:8, 17:24-28; Romans 12:1-2; 3 John 2)

Copyright 2022 by Dawn Freeman. All Rights Reserved.

Love God

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

What stood out for you?

Read it again if necessary.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

Do you know what stood out to me?

"to those who love God"

So, does that mean... for those who do not know God and love Him... things will not work together for their good...? (pause)

Sure makes me think...

How about you?

Copyright 2022 by Dawn Freeman. All Rights Reserved.

Relationship With God

God desires to have a relationship with all people. We are already made in His image. He wants all of us to personally know Him and love Him though. (Read Genesis 1:26-27)

If you haven't first believed in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, then repent of all your sin. Ask God to forgive you of all sin once and for all. Then, believe and receive the free gift of salvation that Jesus paid for you on the cross over 2000 years ago. (Read Isaiah 53; John 3:16; Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:8-10)

For those who are already His children, He desires us to really come to know Him in a deeper and more intimate relationship. He knows us and our hearts. We can share our innermost thoughts and feelings with Him. He already knows us and them. We can be completely open and honest with Him. It doesn't change Him nor His nature. However, it can change our personal relationship with Him for the better. (See 1 Samuel 16:7; James 4:8a)

By daily spending time with Him, we become more like His only begotten Son, Jesus. That time includes seeking Him, His face, His kingdom, His righteousness. We can learn more about Him not only in His word but through experience with Him in life. Plus, by praying with Him, we not only communicate with Him but agree with Him and His will. (See Matthew 6:33, 18:19; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; James 1:2-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 John 5:14-15)

Ultimately, He is the only one who informs us about our physical and spiritual identity as well as our specific purpose in His overall plan.

(Read Joshua 1:8; Jeremiah 29:11-14; Psalm 139; Matthew 4:4; Romans 12:1-2)

Copyright 2021 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Like Jesus in the Wilderness

While Jesus was in the wilderness, He was not considered a wilderness man nor a man of the wilderness. He was not defined by His physical circumstances. He was still the Son of God. He still had a relationship with His Father.

Likewise, when God's children are in a so-called wilderness, they are not wilderness people nor people of the wilderness. They are not defined by their physical circumstances. They are still Children of God. They still have a relationship with their Father.

Like Jesus, they are only being prepared and trained for their specific calling and purpose in their Father's plan. When they come out of the wilderness, they also will move directly into their calling and purpose.

(Read Matthew 4:1-11)

Copyright 2020 by Dawn Freeman. All Rights Reserved.

The Need for a Savior

Everyone needs a Savior, and His name is Jesus.

It doesn't matter if you are "good" like a Pharisee in your own eyes or one of the worst of sinners like the Apostle Paul was considered for persecuting Christians before his actual conversion. It doesn't matter if you haven't ever accepted Jesus and His "free" gift of salvation, or you have been a Christian warming the seats on the pews for decades. It doesn't matter if you have not ever stepped inside a church building, or you grew up in the church and attended on a weekly basis. It doesn't matter if you keep all of the man-made rules, regulations, and traditions or you break all of those rules, regulations, and traditions in this world. It doesn't matter if you are a goody two-shoes or a dirty, rotten scoundrel in the eyes of this world. It doesn't matter where you fall on those different spectrums. It doesn't matter if it is just one of those items or a combination of those items within those different ranges either.

Also... if you break one part of the law, you break all of the law (See Deuteronomy 5:1-22).  Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NKJV)

Can you really love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, strength? Can you truly love your neighbor as yourself?

If not, then you have broken all of the law.

And, if you break all the law...Then, you cannot truly do anything by yourself. You cannot really do anything on your own in this world.

You need a Savior. He's not just a part-time Savior either. He's a full-time Savior.

He's a Savior for every moment of every day.

Do you recognize and acknowledge your need for the Savior?

Have you confessed your need for Him?

That is truly all that matters then.

Recognize, acknowledge, confess your need for the one, true Savior of this world every moment of every day for the rest of your life here on earth as it is in heaven.

(See Isaiah 53; Matthew 6:10; John 3:16-17; Romans 3:23, 6:23, 10:8-10)


Copyright 2019 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

What's Love Got To Do With It?

The songstress Tina Turner, sang "What's Love Got to Do With It?" in the 80's.  In the song, she sings about love just being a second-hand emotion.  

Therefore, "What's Love Got to Do With It?"

Plenty.

The world's view of love is quite different than God's view of love.  According to God and His word, love is not just a second-hand emotion.  In biblical truth, it is not really an emotion at all.  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  (John 3:16-17, NKJV)

God loved the whole world so very much that He thought of all of us first before anything else.  It was not any second-hand emotion.  It was a choice.  He chose to give up His only begotten Son, so everyone else in the world would have the opportunity to live eternally with Him.  He wanted every person to be saved from the eternal punishment of the fiery pit of hell which results in total separation from Him forever.

That's how much He really loves all of us in this world.  He doesn't force anyone to love Him though.  He woos each one of us to Himself.

How does He do that?

Well, for one, by His true nature.  In His word, He tells us that, "...God [He] is love."  (See 1 John 4:8)

Additionally, He draws each one of us to Himself through natural circumstances in life as well as in other ways.  (See James 1:2-4, 4:8a) 

As we come to truly know Him, we come to really love Him.    Then, and only then can we say that, "We love Him because He first loved us."  (1 John 4:19, NKJV)  

And, His love really changes us from the inside out!  We are transformed by His unconditional and unlimited love.  When we are truly changed, we don’t nor won’t want to hurt Him, ourselves, nor others in the ways that a lot of other people think and do others in this world.  We think of Him and His ways instead of the world and its ways.  

We then can truly know the real answer to the question, "What's Love Got To Do With It?"

What will you say the next time another person asks you that particular question?  Will you answer the way the world does in that specific song?  Or, will you answer the way God thinks and says in His word?

Copyright 2018 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Jesus in the Wilderness - Part 2

[Note: This post is Part 2 of the biblical lesson...Jesus in the Wilderness. Please see the previous post of Part 1 before reading this post.]


Jesus was initially led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God Himself in order to be tested in the wilderness. During Jesus’ wilderness experience though, He fasted the whole time. Though I have never personally fasted for 40 days and 40 nights myself, I know that the spiritual discipline of fasting strengthens every believer in Jesus Christ and every Child of God in their innermost being---their spirit man. Therefore, Jesus though He was physically hungry due to the 40-day fast, He had strengthened Himself in His spirit during that time of fasting. He was built up in His innermost being. His spirit man was heightened as a result. He was also more in tune with His Father’s voice during this time. He was more keenly and acutely aware of His Father’s purpose and plan as well as His Father’s perfect will for Him. As a result of Jesus’ fasting, He was also able to listen more closely to His Father and obey Him very well.

Jesus was already close to His Father beforehand. However, this wilderness experience drew Him even closer to His Father. As a result, Jesus learned to depend on His Father more during this experience but also afterwards.

Anytime, we go through so-called wilderness experiences, we also draw closer to our Father.

As we draw closer to God, He draws closer to us. We learn to depend on God even more but afterwards as well.

What are some of the take-aways from Jesus’ wilderness experience that can also help us in our own so-called wilderness experiences?

For one, Jesus was rooted and grounded in His true identity. He received His true identity from His Father and His relationship with Him. We also receive our true identity in Christ from our Father, His word, and our relationships with our Father. We also need to be truly rooted and grounded in our true identity in Christ.

Next, Jesus not only knew who He was---His true identity, but He also knew whose He was… Jesus knew that He was His Father’s Son. He was rooted and grounded in His relationship with His Father. We also need to be truly rooted and grounded in our relationships with our Father. We need to know that we are our Father’s sons and daughters.

Also, Jesus’ obedience came out of the love relationship with His Father. Jesus knew that He was truly loved by His Father. He knew that God wanted the best for Him. We also need to know that we are truly loved by our Father, and He only wants the best for us. Our obedience will also come out of the true love relationships with our Father.

We must know and remember that we are in Christ and He is in us.

As He is, so are we in this world.

Therefore, we can also be strong and firm in our true identity in Christ. We can be firmly and deeply rooted and grounded in our relationships with our Father. Our obedience and submission comes out of our love relationships with our Father who truly loves us just like He does His Son, Jesus. Our Father only wants the very best for us.

Knowing and remembering all of that together will help us to come out of our so-called wildernesses in a matter of days instead of not coming out at all or taking years to come out of our so-called wildernesses.

Let’s choose to come out of the wilderness and into our promised land---“a land flowing with milk and honey.”


Copyright 2017 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Jesus in the Wilderness - Part 1

We do not want to be like the children of Israel who wandered around the wilderness for 40 years. What should have taken them only days took them way too many years! They also ended up dying in the wilderness, so they still did not come out of the wilderness after all of those years. (See Exodus 13:17-22; Joshua 5:6)

Whereas it took the children of Israel wandering around the wilderness for 40 years and they still did not come out of the wilderness…It only took Jesus 40 days and 40 nights to come out of the wilderness.

In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:17, NIV)

Therefore, let’s now take a look at Jesus’ wilderness experience in God’s word.

Looking back in verse 3…when the devil spoke with Jesus…he said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Then in verse 6, the devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.”

Notice the way the devil said, “If…” in both of those previous verses. “If…” is not a concrete word. When someone uses the word ‘If…’ that person does not believe part or all of their own statement. That particular person doubts and does not believe that their statement is true. So is the case with the devil, he doubted and did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. The devil also tried to make Jesus doubt His own true identity. Satan questioned Jesus’ identity by saying…”If you are the Son of God…” before each of the previous statements.

Jesus knew who He was though. He was the Son of God. Jesus also knew whose He was. He was His Father’s Son. Jesus was strong and firm in His true identity. Therefore, He did not waver in His faith during any of the devil’s temptations.

Jesus answered Satan the first time with “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (v 4)

The next time, Jesus said, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “ (v 7)

With each of these two answers from Jesus, He told the devil what His Father had told Him to tell the devil. He listened to His Father and obeyed His Father. Jesus’ obedience came from His close relationship with His Father.

With the very last temptation, the devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the splendor. He told Jesus that He could have it all if He bowed down and worshiped him. (v 8-9)

However, Jesus resisted the devil and told him, “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” (v 10)

Then, the devil left Jesus and the angels came and took care of Jesus. (v 11)

Did you notice with each temptation from the devil that Jesus resisted the devil and the temptation?

At every single temptation, Jesus resisted the devil. Jesus submitted to His Father and resisted the devil each and every time.

Jesus submitted to God and resisted the devil. Submitted to God and resisted the devil. Submitted to God. Resisted the devil.

[Note: This post is only Part 1.  Please see Part 2 for the continuation of this biblical lesson...Jesus in the Wilderness]


Copyright 2017 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.

Love is....

Do you know the true definition of the word ‘Love?'

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NIV)

That's Almighty God's definition of this term. The God of the universe. The creator of the entire world. (See Genesis 1 and 2)

Yet, too many people in this world use this particular word too easily, quickly, and flippantly.

I admit it. It really bothers me especially when a supposed Child of God uses this word so casually. For one, I can discern that the person does not even know the true meaning of the term. There is a disconnect between their words and their actions toward other people.

In the book of 1 John, the writer explains more specifically about God's love but also about the love of others (See 1 John 4:7-21).

John encourages everyone to love, because it comes from God (See 1 John 4:7).

However, none of us can truly love Him or others without first receiving that love from Him and others. "We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:17, NIV - emphasis added mine)."

Additionally, people who do not really know God cannot love either. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8, NIV)."

God is love. Did you get that? God. Is. Love. Therefore...

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails. (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a --- Please note the word 'Love' has been replaced with 'God' for the purpose of this lesson.)

This is just a superficial illustration. Hopefully, you have a better understanding though.

All people must first truly and personally know and understand God and His true nature which is only obtained through an intimate relationship with the one, true, and living God. Then, they will have a more personal and deeper understanding of true love---Godly love.

As previously mentioned, only "love comes from God (1 John 4:7, NIV)." So, if you do not personally know Him, you really have no real understanding nor know the magnitude of this particular term. Consequently, you truly cannot and should not ever use this word in your vocabulary.

Otherwise, you are just lying to yourself and others. Most importantly, you are lying before Almighty God---the creator of the whole world including you.

Ask Him to open your spiritual eyes to enlighten you in order to give you a better knowledge and understanding of Him and His true nature. May He truly reveal to you the real meaning of the word 'Love' through a more deep and personal relationship with Him. Then, feel free to use the term 'Love' in the most Godly way possible.

Copyright 2016 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.