Week Fifteen, 2025

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world (1 Peter 5:8-9).

It came like a thief in the night, totally unexpected or unimaginable. It happened on September 11, an odd coincidence since that’s the number (911) that we call for emergencies. We all remember where we were when it happened and stayed glued to the television throughout the day. Planes struck both World Trade Center buildings, hit the Pentagon and a fourth attack was thwarted by passengers on board.

Three weeks later, as the buildings were still smoldering and ash still falling, my wife and I headed to South Manhattan armed with Bible pamphlets which we handed out on the streets, ashes falling on our heads. People reached for what we had, as they were hungry for the Word in a time of crisis. It is amazing how desired the Bible becomes in times of crisis.

Satan attacks in various ways, usually striking like a snake. The adversary is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using the three Ds: Deception, Distraction and Discouragement. He infiltrates the world with his lies, and even believers can be deceived. He’s always ready to interject his ideas into our minds and lead us astray by convincing us that there will be no consequences for sin. If we believe his lies and disobey our heavenly Father, we will suffer His loving discipline.

Spiritual warfare is real, and we all will one time(s) or another be one of Satan’s targets. Like the Boy Scout oath we need to be prepared. Spiritual warfare is best confronted with spiritual preparedness, so to be prepared we need to immerse ourselves daily in the Bible, prayer and spiritual fellowship.

Whenever you choose less than God’s best or to forego God’s prescribed plans, you always put yourself in a vulnerable position. Whenever you choose to go your own way and not follow God’s plan with God’s people, you put yourself in a weakened position. When we settle for less than God’s best or His will, we set ourselves up for attack from the enemy. We should put on Jesus and make no provisions for the flesh. Romans 13:14

So, the next time you are confronted by a bully boastful devilish serpentine enemy, call out to God. Pray for the Spirit’s empowerment. Lead in the Spirit. Maybe even ask for some holy anger to drive you on. And when victory is won, give glory to God.

Sometimes True Stories

There are two aspects of who we are as human beings created in God’s image. The first is our physical body. When sin entered the world through Adam, our bodies were doomed to deterioration and ultimate death. In fact, because we inherited the sin nature from Adam, science tells us that we begin that process at the moment of conception with the slight degradation on the cellular level. The death rate is 100%.

The other aspect is spiritual. Inherited sin affects that as well. However, the spiritual death, also known as separation from God, is full and complete at conception. But, unlike the physical death we will experience, spiritual death, the separation from God, can be overcome. Because Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin on the cross, we can place our trust in Him and Him alone and experience a spiritual rebirth which re-establishes our relationship with our Creator.

It gets better. When our physical bodies die and Christ comes for us, we will get brand new bodies to go with our spiritual rebirth and live with Him forever. Rich Jensen

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God wants me to dwell on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.

In other words, God wants me to dwell upon Him and His character and His characteristics…. wants me to dwell upon Jesus and all that He is: True… Noble… Right… Pure… Lovely… Admirable… Excellent… Praiseworthy…

Dwell upon such things. Marty Stubblefield

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Birthrates are falling below replacement levels across the Western World. For Europe – and other nations with generous state managed retirement programs, a declining youth population spells trouble. Michael Smith

Quotes You Can Use

If you or someone you know is having a medical problem, remember to be patient. Hope for the best, be happy about small improvements, and trust the Lord that things will get better. God is good, even when things are difficult. Ronald Sy

Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.

Ask yourself if what you are doing today gets you any closer to where you want to be tomorrow.

Some people have no idea of what they are doing, and a lot of them are really good at it. George Carlin

The greatest need in your life is not more stuff, more time, or more money. Our deepest need is to know God better. John Piper

It would have been well for the church if the warnings of the Gospel had been studied as much as its promises. J.C. Ryle

At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you have accomplished. It’s about who you have lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you have given back. Denzel Washington

Goodness is about character – integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. Dennis Prager

Integrity—it’s a foundational element God calls us to embrace, to have the impact and leave the legacy, in the life of purpose He created us to live. Integrity—you can’t have a little, or a lot. You either have it, or not! Scott Whitaker

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. Carl Jung

Hardness of heart leads us to oppose God and devalue human life. Guard your heart before the Lord and show mercy to others.

When you have a true encounter with God, you come away with the realization that God is for you. Dan Shock

Justifying unbelief or hiding it behind self-improvement projects will not work. Come to the Father by believing in the Son. Edgar Aponte

Mankind is inherently evil, and it takes discipline and God’s grace to purge the evil from our hearts and souls. Tony Ferguson

The risen Lord promised His presence and His power so we can accomplish His purpose. Edgar Aponte

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