A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
Home About Us Archives Free email subscription
Listen to these messages
Text only for printing
See here
for more info.
<Previous Message Next Message>
Friday, October 18, 2013
Pumpkin Wagon near Strasburg, PA
Listen to this message on
your audio player.
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8,9a).
About
30 years ago Keith Green penned the thought-provoking words to a song as though they were written by the devil
himself. One line from the song, "No One Believes in Me Anymore" goes
like this: "I put some truth in every lie, to tickle itching
ears."
These words ring Scripturally true and are so easily observed in our age. Merely consider the many lies we are exposed to and the efforts to tickle itching ears. In contrast to this I hear the ancient word of our Lord in a prayer to His Father, "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17).
Our daily texts may seem a bit unusual to use in bringing a brief word of encouragement. However the Bible forthrightly acknowledges the existence of our adversary, the devil. The Bible also provides the spiritual strength and needed tools to overcome the scheming plots of our enemy. Martin Luther referred to the devil as "our ancient foe."
In the first daily text this ancient foe is presented as a liar. Jesus is speaking to those who opposed Him, specifically the Pharisees. His words were very strong and greatly offended the proud Pharisees. In fact the chapter ends with an attempt to stone Jesus. It was a stark demonstration of the Spirit of Truth and Light opposing the spirit of falsehood and darkness.
In
the second text this ancient foe is presented as a lion. Lions are
mentioned frequently in the Bible and lived in the Bible lands. The last one was killed near Megiddo in the
thirteenth century according to my Bible dictionary. In the Bible the
image of a lion is used both positively and negatively. Positively we
read of Christ who is presented as the Lion of Judah seated at the
right hand of the Father on the throne! Negatively we picture the lions
devouring David's flock of sheep and the den where Daniel spent the
night (I believe a peaceful one).
Peter forthrightly identifies the devil as our enemy. He stands opposed to what the Almighty God of the universe wants for us and began his deceitful craft in the garden.
The phrase, "prowls around like a roaring lion", describes the devil's method. It's interesting that Peter would call our attention to this detail. If you've ever been to a zoo you can picture this prowling action. It seems the lion walks about in a sly, quiet, haughty and deliberate manner before pouncing on its target. He's "looking for someone to devour."
Let's remember this, not with an attitude of terror, but of caution and preparedness. This text and others give us the tools to overcome our enemy: self-control, alertness, resistance, and standing firm in the faith. Join me in overcoming this roaring lion today and be resolute in staying faithful to the Lion of Judah.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, as we live in the Light of Your Word the devil's venomous plots
are exposed. We are not caught by surprise but rather we are filled
with Your Spirit which prepares us to be on the offense rather than
defense. We walk in truth and confidence as we stand strong on the day
of evil. As we wear the full armor You have provided for our protection
we can fight against the devil's evil tricks. Our fight is not against
flesh and blood but against the powers of this world's darkness and the
spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. So we pray in the
spirit continuously asking for Your help, strength, and guidance. We
also pray for our brothers and sisters that together we will stand firm
against the enemy of our souls. Amen.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"No One Believes In Me Anymore" (satan's boast) Video Keith Green
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" Video Brian Doerksen
"Praise The Lord" Video The Imperials "Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think, that we are paupers when he knows himself we're children of the King!"
"We Confess" Video Glenn Packiam
"Farther Along" Video Josh Garrels
"In My Place" Video Michael Bleecker
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can
continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is
accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this
ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Friday, October 18, 2013
"A Roaring Liar"
Listen to this message on
your audio player."You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8,9a).
About
30 years ago Keith Green penned the thought-provoking words to a song as though they were written by the devil
himself. One line from the song, "No One Believes in Me Anymore" goes
like this: "I put some truth in every lie, to tickle itching
ears."These words ring Scripturally true and are so easily observed in our age. Merely consider the many lies we are exposed to and the efforts to tickle itching ears. In contrast to this I hear the ancient word of our Lord in a prayer to His Father, "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17).
Our daily texts may seem a bit unusual to use in bringing a brief word of encouragement. However the Bible forthrightly acknowledges the existence of our adversary, the devil. The Bible also provides the spiritual strength and needed tools to overcome the scheming plots of our enemy. Martin Luther referred to the devil as "our ancient foe."
In the first daily text this ancient foe is presented as a liar. Jesus is speaking to those who opposed Him, specifically the Pharisees. His words were very strong and greatly offended the proud Pharisees. In fact the chapter ends with an attempt to stone Jesus. It was a stark demonstration of the Spirit of Truth and Light opposing the spirit of falsehood and darkness.
In
the second text this ancient foe is presented as a lion. Lions are
mentioned frequently in the Bible and lived in the Bible lands. The last one was killed near Megiddo in the
thirteenth century according to my Bible dictionary. In the Bible the
image of a lion is used both positively and negatively. Positively we
read of Christ who is presented as the Lion of Judah seated at the
right hand of the Father on the throne! Negatively we picture the lions
devouring David's flock of sheep and the den where Daniel spent the
night (I believe a peaceful one). Peter forthrightly identifies the devil as our enemy. He stands opposed to what the Almighty God of the universe wants for us and began his deceitful craft in the garden.
The phrase, "prowls around like a roaring lion", describes the devil's method. It's interesting that Peter would call our attention to this detail. If you've ever been to a zoo you can picture this prowling action. It seems the lion walks about in a sly, quiet, haughty and deliberate manner before pouncing on its target. He's "looking for someone to devour."
Let's remember this, not with an attitude of terror, but of caution and preparedness. This text and others give us the tools to overcome our enemy: self-control, alertness, resistance, and standing firm in the faith. Join me in overcoming this roaring lion today and be resolute in staying faithful to the Lion of Judah.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, as we live in the Light of Your Word the devil's venomous plots
are exposed. We are not caught by surprise but rather we are filled
with Your Spirit which prepares us to be on the offense rather than
defense. We walk in truth and confidence as we stand strong on the day
of evil. As we wear the full armor You have provided for our protection
we can fight against the devil's evil tricks. Our fight is not against
flesh and blood but against the powers of this world's darkness and the
spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. So we pray in the
spirit continuously asking for Your help, strength, and guidance. We
also pray for our brothers and sisters that together we will stand firm
against the enemy of our souls. Amen.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"No One Believes In Me Anymore" (satan's boast) Video Keith Green
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" Video Brian Doerksen
"Praise The Lord" Video The Imperials "Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think, that we are paupers when he knows himself we're children of the King!"
"We Confess" Video Glenn Packiam
"Farther Along" Video Josh Garrels
"In My Place" Video Michael Bleecker
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can
continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is
accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this
ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA