Four Fingerprints of Satan

According to a Beth Moore study, the four fingerprints of Satan are found in 2 Corinthians 4:2.  They are (1) secrecy (2) shame (3) deception, and (4) distortion.  Makes perfect sense to me.  In fact, what I'm going to write in this blog are passages from the Bible and to me they are so profound that I'm just going to leave you to look them up, think about them and, hopefully, develop further independent study.

2 Corinthians 4:1-18
Romans 12:1-2
Romans 8:18

Every Day Bible Study

At church, this past Sunday, our sermon was about how we sometimes get caught up seeking Jesus only when times are great and we receive the "goodies that he might give away.  He wants more.  He wants us to trust him as Savior" (Dr. John Beck).  He wants us to continue to have, or begin to make, a normal habit of bible study.  How else can we memorize scripture or recall places in the bible that will help us in times of trouble?  Moreover, how many of us need periodic reminders of just how gloriously faithful our Lord is?

My pastor went on to describe how some people in the New Testament saw what Jesus could produce out of the five small barley loaves and two small fish to feed five thousand people (please read John 6:1-15) and they seemed to follow him because of what they could momentarily benefit, yet, afforded no effort into the eternal benefits of their faith in Jesus Christ.  For example, verses 26-27 say "Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you.  On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval" (NIV).  

By the way, the crowd continued to question Jesus and doubt him; however, how many of us have witnessed things happen in our own lives, or in others' lives, to doubt that Jesus' work is eternal?  I've seen and been involved in my fair share of divine appointments that seemed to express eternal benefits.  How about you?  

I've gotten off point a little, but the truth of Sunday's sermon is that even Jesus' normal routine included worship of his Father: "Jesus taught regularly in their synagogues . . . he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath . . . " (Luke 4:15-16).  We must make a conscious choice to  devote ourselves to regular bible study. 

Aren't we to live as Christ did?  1John 2:6 says "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."  

On the right-hand side of my blog site, you will find some bible study links and resources.  Feel free to click away!  Happy bible studying!

Hold Fast to God's Word

Growing up, I can remember hearing sermons about idolatry and how dangerous it was to become too hyper-focused on something for fear that I would end up idolizing it.  I can remember going to the barn and loving the horses I cared for, so much, that I was afraid they would turn into my idols.  I'll never forget telling my father, the late Reverend William H. Tilton, that I loved horses.  Boy, was that a mistake.  My dad proceded to give me one of his famously long lectures about the dangers of idolatry.  Knowing me, I probably fell asleep, and knowing him, he probably didn't notice.  lol  But, I have to say, I had a holy fear for both my Father in heaven (still do!) and my father on earth.

There was and is no way I will ever knowingly go down the road of idolatry but there is a fine line, according to Jonah from the Bible.  In the New Century Version, Jonah 2: 8-9 says "People who worship useless idols give up their loyalty to you.  Lord, I will praise and thank you while I give sacrifices to you.  And I will do what I promise.  Salvation comes from the Lord!"  Those very people who worship useless idols and give up their loyalty to God probably do so slowly.  It probably doesn't happen all at once because Satan likes to creep in with temptation.  Oh, he's a sly one.  Don't let him tempt you, friends.  Let's be well-dressed in the armor of our Lord (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Study the Word every day of your lives.  Listen to what He has to tell you.  I believe that everything written in the bible holds significance; otherwise, why else would it be God-breathed?

Joy Cometh

Do you ever feel like you're in limbo; almost in a let-down phase of your life?  Sometimes I do, and it can happen soon after I've been excited about something; some news or circumstance in my life.  It's during that sudden let-down or limbo phase that I am edgy and my tongue is sharp.  Of course, by the time I realize it, it's too late to take back my words or actions.  But, the apostle Peter writes "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  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, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power for ever and ever.  Amen."  (1 Peter 5:6-11 NIV)

I wonder, "why couldn't I have thought of those verses before I lashed out?"  Maybe I need to write them on a sticky note and post them on my bathroom mirror.  Better yet, maybe I should try to memorize them.  Boy,  wouldn't Satan just love that!?!

Thankfully, the Lord gives hope to those of us who are saved.  "The end of all things is near.  Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God"(7,8,11).

Today is a brand new day.  Thank you, Lord, for the joy that cometh in the morning.

If you are reading this post and you are wondering how you can become a Christian, please follow this link and read it thoroughly. http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/about-us/be-ready-meet-jesus/ I pray that you will allow your heart to open up and let Christ in. Welcome, in advance, to my family in Christ.  We love you.

Magnificent Father

Good morning and happy father's day, guys!

I can't wait to go to church and worship my Lord, this morning, because I want to hug and say hello to my Christian brothers and sisters, and then I want to sing praises to my Magnificent Father on this special day.   He loves me unconditionally and He never lets me down.  Even when I try very hard not to sin, but do, He disciplines me but is never disappointed or ashamed of me.

Everyday, God gives me just the right amount of strength I need to function.  I praise Him for that.  I praise Him in advance for His healing power and for helping to build my wisdom and understanding.  I want more, Lord.  Please give me more.  God knows my heart and He knows my unconditional love for Him.

"Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:12,13). Come quickly Jesus!  I want to meet our Father face to face but in the meantime, "Listen, O heavens, and I will hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. a faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he" (Deuteronomy 32:1-4).

Help me to be more like Jesus, Lord, and may this blog be a witness to You and reach someone's heart in a special way.

Questions of the Day

Today, I have so many biblical questions, about Job, swimming around in my head.  I began reading Job 3 and verse 25 says "What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me."  What I am wondering is: (1) Had Job thought about losing everything he had long before he lost it? (2) Had he wondered if he was going to lose his health before all of the prior tragedy or after the tragedy? (3) Had he been poor and sick long before he found wealth and health?  Is that why he possessed fear and dread?  Then to me, his blamelessness and uprightness (1:8 NIV) makes a little more sense.  He was forever grateful and had so much faith and love towards God that he could not live without him.  But at the same time, he was human and filled with emotion at the loss of his children and health.  His wealth meant nothing to him, of course; this often happens when we depend on God, and not on worldly ambitions or things.  In addition, and speaking from experience, wealth (or living without want or need) means nothing once you have lost it and discovered that you can live without it if you fully depend on Him to provide for your needs.

My questions about Job are pretty insignificant, of course, because the answers are not revealed but do you ever have questions about what do you read in the bible?  Beth Moore once said (in a nutshell) that the bible is God's breathed Word to us.  He revealed what he wanted us to know.  He wrote to us, so write back.  Do you write back?  Some people don't write in their bible.  That's okay.  Write on a tablet of paper if you want.  The point is, the more critical thought you put into your reading the better your comprehension will be so more of His Word may be revealed to you.  Don't forget to ask for ears to hear and eyes to see.  Helpful tip: I pray and clear my mind of all things before I do my bible study.  Also, I do it very early in the morning so that the only distraction I have are the birds singing and the dog snoring.  Don't forget to thank the Lord for revealing Himself to you when you finish studying.

Happy bible studying!

Job's Wife

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ.  Have you ever thought of the Lord as a someone with a sense of humor?  I have, plenty of times, but it was Beth Moore (Living Proof & Lifeway Bible teacher) who really brought those ideas to light.  If you haven't studied with Beth Moore, I very highly recommend that you do, whether you are male or female.  Beth is a "woman's" Bible teacher but, really, that has more to do with her ministry connections and not her actual teaching.  I've been in weekly church studies where men have sat in because she is an outstanding witness and teacher of the Lord Jesus Christ.  She, after all, is our sister and we should support one another, right?  I've included a link to one of her many ministries but you will be most blessed if you can get to a Beth Moore Bible study group at a church or purchase the leader DVD set and create a Bible study at your home.  That's what I intend to do once we are finished remodeling the house.  :)  http://www.lproof.org/

By the way, the Lord has blessed me with a very Godly husband and we keep each other in check just like Job and his wife.  Speaking of Job, I've been studying the Explore the Bible Personal Study and did you know that Job's wife is only mentioned one time during his whole ordeal (see Job 2:9)?  She comes on scene after he breaks out in head-to-toe sores (2:7) and tries scraping the scabs away with pottery shards (2:8).  The study guide points out something that I've never thought about (I'll write below) and I've read the book of Job too many times to count because of all the times I've felt as if I've gone through my own "Job moments" and needed comfort knowing that God never leaves me in my worst of trials.

Anyway, back to the wife; except for the physical pain that her husband suffers, we must assume that she suffers intense emotional pain at the loss of her children.  In fact, I'm going to go out on a limb and propose that she may agonize the death of her children (1:18,19) to the point it almost sends her over the proverbial edge.  What mother wouldn't come unravelled over the loss of one child let alone all 10 children, simultaneously?  And, although she loses all of her wealth (1:2,3; 14-17), like her husband, the material things are probably not that important to her.  What, rather, whom she has left is her husband; her lifelong partner.

So let's recap: out of nowhere, Job and his wife lose their wealth, livelihood, family, and Job's health; suddenly, Job's wife probably thinks her husband is about to die as well.  Knowing this, she says to him "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (2:9 NIV).  In a way, that statement would make sense in that day and age because she knows that he is suffering and my study bible says that she wants him to "provoke God to administer the final stroke due to all who curse him" (Leviticus 24:10-16).  At the same time, she recognizes his integrity.  I think this is important.  She still holds fast to her husband's honor and presence as a man of God.  Never does she belittle him or cause him to suffer more.

Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"  In all this, Job did not sin in what he said." (Job 2:10).  So Job reprimands his wife but does not belittle her, either. Nor does he cause additional suffering on her part.  In addition, he points out that God provides good things and at other times he allows trials.  He reminds her of God's sovereignty and helps her to remember that she can cling to Him always. Job understands that concept.  In my experience, the more perseverance marathons I run the more conditioned I become.  That is not to say that I become desensitised to trials.  Oh, let me tell you about my recent air-conditioning problem (another time)!  lol  However, all it means is that I am drawn closer to God during those unhappy moments in my life; as a result, I remain closer to him during the happy moments.  He wants us to run to Him.  Always.  No matter what.

By the way, this part of the verse: "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 2:10 silences the accuser aka Satan.  No longer is he heard from again in the book of Job.  Job's wife plays a very important role in his life, do you agree?  Can you think of other times in the bible that the accuser is silenced?  If so, please post a reply.

Have a wonderful day!

Jesus' Blessings Poured Out On Me

Welcome to my first blog post. I've decided to share some of my thoughts from my devotionals because I just can't keep quiet about them! When I read Gods Word, I just want to burst with excitement about the things He reveals to me; however, I will try to contain myself try to focus on one thought per post. :)

This morning, I was reading 1 John 5:14,15.  The New International Version (NIV) says this: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him."  All of a sudden, it hit me.  It's not that God will just hand over whatever we want or ask for, just because we pray for it; it's that it has first got to be His will, and then the scripture says He will hear us and we will have that in which we ask.  Rather than think of the word hear I would rather think of the word acknowledge because God always hears our prayers.

Here's a possible question you may have: How do I know if it's His will for me to get what if I ask for? I would say that if you received your request without having to manipulate the situation to attain whatever it is, it must have been aligned in His will.

Whenever you're in doubt, pray about it.  Thanks for reading my post.  I hope to write often.  God bless you and goodnight!