3 Ways to Detect Counterfeit Philosophies

The U.S. Secret Service says the best way to detect counterfeit money is to become familiar with real money. If someone thoroughly studies the details of real money, they'll be able to recognize the slightest errors in a counterfeit.

The Secret Service recommends:

1. Look at the portrait on the money. It should appear "lifelike" and stand out from the background.
2. Look at the treasury seal, borders, and numbers, which should appear distinct, not blurry.
3. Look at the paper, which will have fibers "embedded," not simply printed on the surface.

This type of study also helps Christians who want to detect counterfeit teachings:

1. We should look for the "portrait" of God in the teaching: is it life-giving (John 10:10)? Does it stand apart from the background of worldly philosophies (1 Corinthians 1:20)? 

2. Because Christians are "sealed with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13), we can make sure there is no blurring of the lines between truth and error (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

3. It's important to make sure that God's Word is embedded in the content because many false teachings put on a "covering" of Scripture with false teachings embedded (Colossians 2:8).

We live in a time in history when it's absolutely essential that we study God's Word carefully so that we can correctly understand the truth. Let's be as careful about counterfeit philosophies as we are about counterfeit money (2 Timothy 2:15)!

For more insights, see 5 Steps for Accurate Bible Study and 6 Ways to Determine if a Scripture Is Used Correctly.

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5 Things to Remember When You're Suffering

When we’re suffering—whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually—it’s helpful to remember:

 
1. There are people undergoing worse suffering than we are.

It’s easy to feel like our situation is beyond our ability to endure. That’s when it’s good to look at the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), those Christians who’ve suffered past and present and maintained a strong faith. They can be our models and help us put our suffering in perspective. See For Example about two of my role models.
 

2. Christ’s example.

Christ’s suffering was worse than any human suffering. It was far more than the pain of crucifixion. He bore our sins and paid fully for them. We will never fully understand how terrible that was. But we should always consider His example when we are facing difficulties (Hebrews 12:2-10). See Is Christ Supposed to Be Our Example?
 

3. Romans 8:28.

As explained in Hebrews 12, some suffering is the discipline of our loving Father. It may be correction or simply training, but God can use it for good. This short video explains my heartbreak that brought about the ministry of Bible Love Notes: HERE.

 

4. Some suffering is an honor.

Philippians 2:27-30 explains that we are sometimes chosen to suffer for Christ, which is an honor that will be rewarded (Matthew 5:10-12).
 

5. For Christians, all suffering is temporary.

The world's desires will pass away, but we will live in perfect peace and joy for eternity with our Lord (1 John 2:17).

 

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Soon to be released:

 

I hope you are preparing for the release of my book, Lies in Disguise, Half-Truths Many Christians Believe. It explains how many teachings are blurring the line between Scripture and culture. 

 

I'm excited about it, and I'm praying it helps Christians discern false teachings and arm themselves with accurate biblical truth. Read more about it HERE. 

 

 

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God's Grammar Rules

1. Never put a period where God puts a comma.

2. Never put a comma where God puts a period.   

Joanna Weaver(1)

I appreciate Joanna Weaver’s “grammar lesson.” It’s a lesson I need to revisit from time to time.

 

Sometimes God asks us to wait—He places a comma in our lives. When that happens, we need to persevere, not run away or get ahead of God’s plans (Isaiah 40:30-31; Psalm 27:14).

At other times, God brings something to an end—He places a period in our lives. When this happens, we need to move forward boldly and confidently to the next thing He has planned for us (Philippians 3:12-14; Ephesians 2:10).

As we abide by God's “grammar rules,” we become more aware of His purposes and His love written between every line in our life's story.

Are you struggling with your story right now? If so, ask for God’s wisdom and grace to wait or move.

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(1) Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, Waterbrook Press, CO Springs, CO, 2000, pages 126,127.

If you want more encouragement and instruction in God's Word, please check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "read sample" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on Barnes and Noble.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes. Find out more HERE.

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The Comfort of Knowing that God Is With Us

Today I'm sharing one of the devotions from my book Wisdom for Life. I hope you enjoy it!

The Comfort of Knowing that God Is with Us

Psalm 46 begins with this wonderful assurance: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” NIV

And it concludes with this wonderful command: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” NIV

When I read this psalm, I think of a small child who wanders into a crowd and panics, thinking she's lost. From her perspective, it’s as terrible as if the earth is trembling and the mountains are toppling into the sea. Tears stream down her face, and fear fills her heart until she looks up and realizes that her father has been at her side all the time. He’s never left her. Lifting her into his arms, he says, “Be still. I'm here. I've had my eye on you the whole time. Nothing is going to separate us. I'm in charge.” 

When our problems seem huge and fear begins to set in, we need to do the same thing as this small child. We need to "look up" and climb into our Father’s arms. He can “still” our souls, relieve our fears, and let us know that He's in charge. 

For further thought:

What insights into God’s character are found in Psalm 68:5 and Psalm 103:13?

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You might also enjoy the one-minute devotions God Knows Us Intimately and Loves Us Deeply and Comfort Foods and God's Comfort.

💙If you liked this devotion, you'll find 99 more with the same insights into God's Word in Gail's book Wisdom for Life. It features a hundred one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

💙If you've purchased Wisdom for Life, would you please leave a review on the site where you purchased it? 

 

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Preparing Our Hearts to Overflow With Thanksgiving

I realize not all of my readers are Americans who celebrate Thanksgiving. But there are some wonderful "God stories" and Scriptural truths in both the holiday and the biblical concept of thanksgiving. 

So today, I offer you some one-minute devotions from the archives that deal with Thanksgiving and thankfulness.  You can choose to read one or all, and I pray they will give you a more thankful heart. That's what I'm praying for myself.  ~ Gail

P.S. My favorite is "5 Kernels of Corn."  

Genuine Thankfulness – 1 Timothy 6:7-8: Genuine thankfulness is often found in the most unlikely places. This one-minute devotion explains and offers scriptural insights.

3 Steps to Spiritual Success: These three short verses offer incredible wisdom. Be encouraged!

Let’s Take Back Thanksgiving!! Inspiration and ideas for focusing on Christ and the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Gratitude Attitude: Secular studies confirm what God has been saying all along. This one-minute devotion explains gratitude from a biblical perspective.

Gratitude Born of Pain: We often associate gratitude with obvious blessings, but the original Thanksgiving was based on something else.

God's Different Methods of Communication: Since Thanksgiving is a time for turkey, it made me think of the phrase "talkin' turkey."

Talking about Turkey and God's Creativity: In preparation for Thanksgiving, ponder these things about God's creation.

Popcorn, Thanksgiving, and Heaven Have Something in Common: A wonderful message from the Thanksgiving celebration. 

5 Kernels of Corn: This true story about the Pilgrims will bless you and build your faith. 

Don't Give God Your Leftovers: A spiritual truth worth remembering when we dig into those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Black Friday and Good Friday: An interesting comparison of Black Friday and Good Friday.

 

Bible Love Notes

Sin Is a Choice, Not a Kidnapper

Blame-shifting has been popular from the beginning of time (Genesis 3:12-13). (See The Fourth Oldest Sin: It's Your Fault.)

 

We want to convince ourselves that we're good people who aren't responsible for our bad choices. And sometimes we act as if sin takes us captive without our permission.  

 

I was reminded of this when I read Michael Tait's confession after he was exposed for abusing drugs and alcohol and committing homosexual assaults for more than two decades. 

 

He said, “Sin is a terrible thing, taking us where we don’t want to go; keeping us longer than we want to stay; and costing us more than we want to pay.” 

Wrong! Sin is a choice, not a kidnapper:  

 

We choose to sin. We take ourselves where we want to go, and we stay as long as we want or until we get caught. The only truth in Tait's statement is that it costs us more than we want to pay.*

 

“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

 

Whenever we choose to sin, we refuse God's “way out”:

 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 

If we don't take full responsibility for our sins, we will end up repeating them. 

See Strength, Not Weakness 

and  

When the Rubber Meets the Road.

* For more on Michael Tait's behavior and cover up see Lessons We Learn from Secret Sinful Lives and Former Drummer Speaks Out. 

Tait stepped down from Newsboys in January 2025 because a viral TikTok post revealed he was gay, but he did not confess until June when specific accusations were filed (Timeline).

 

 

 

 

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Clutter or Self-Control, Order or Disorder?

Written in 2015 before a move... 
 
We're moving next month. so you can imagine I'm busy.

Having moved twenty-three times in my married life, I enjoy the challenge but hate the mess.

Several days ago, every room in my house was in packing-box confusion. So I stopped packing for several hours and organized the chaos. When I did, my mood immediately changed. 

Research shows that clutter causes stress and lowers productivity.

When we allow our homes, relationships, finances, spiritual disciplines, or work to get messy or disorganized, we aren't doing ourselves any favors. 

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and without it, we become poor stewards of time, money, and opportunities.

Although the following verse was written about worship, it reveals a characteristic of God, in Whose image we're made. It explains our need for peace and order: “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).   

We can't control all areas of disorder in our lives. Sometimes life's transitions, such as moving, cause necessary chaos. And sometimes God interrupts our plans for His purposes. (See Divine Detours.)

But when we do our work for the Lord, we must prioritize important things and deny selfish or lazy attitudes (Colossians 3:23).

Take time today to identify areas where your life is cluttered, disorganized, or chaotic, and pray for God's help in doing something about it. 

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For more on this subject, see Clutter Tolerance and I'm Too Busy.

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"Let Me Know if I Start to Act Demon Possessed," She Chuckled

Two Christian friends kindly warned another friend of the dangers of her involvement in yoga. 

“Well, you can let me know if I start to act demon possessed,” she chuckled. Her remark illustrates the casual attitude many Christians have toward pagan influences. 

Ephesians 6:10-18 is a well-known passage, but do we genuinely understand what it means?

It tells us to be strong, putting on the full armor of God, so we can take our “stand against the devil’s schemes.” It tells us that we are not simply dealing with other human beings—our struggle is “against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Uncompromising faith is the only thing that can “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

We must be alert, careful, and prayerful. We must take up the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word, a sword that is sharp with truth, cutting through all the lies and half-truths in our culture. Let's not exchange it for the butter knife of culture and joke about demons as if they don't exist.

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Can a person participate in a pagan mind and body religious practice without their faith being affected? From my experience, I've never met a Christian heavily involved in yoga who had good discernment.

What if it's called “Christian yoga”? Isn't it simply an exercise?  Can someone with the mind of Christ mingle their faith with a Hindu mind and body practice? To get detailed answers to these and other questions, see:

 

 

Yoga Syncretism or 2 Corinthians 6:14-18?

 

                           

    Are You Willing to Examine Yoga Objectively?

 

 

  

  

   6 Questions Every Christian Should Ask

 

 

 

 

   Christian Leaders Share Their Concerns About Yoga 

 
 

 

    Can a Christian Be Demon-Possessed?

 

 

 

 

  

   Flirting With the Devil

 

 

 

From other websites:

 

➥Got Questions: Christian View of Yoga

➥Got Questions: What is Holy Yoga?

 

➥Addressing Christian Yoga and Yoga as Exercise  

 

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Why Salvation Always Leads to Good Works

People often have trouble understanding the difference between faith and works.

It's essential to know that works don't save us.

But it's equally important to know that genuine faith always leads to works.

Galatians and James use Abraham to illustrate the works–faith contrast: 

Faith alone saves us:
Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.… Those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse."
Full passage: Galatians 3:6-14

Genuine faith always results in works:
"Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ... His faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.... A person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
Full passage: James 2:14-26

Genuine salvation always leads to good works because God has prepared special purposes for each of us (Ephesians 2:10). And our good works bring glory to our Lord (Matthew 5:16). 

And what motivates us? Our love for Jesus: 

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21  

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To do a short, Bite Size Bible Study on this devotion, check it out HERE. And for another one-minute devotion with insights into this subject, see "Works" Is Not a Dirty Word.

💙 Please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional, Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

 

 

 

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