Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement. A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Click here to support our ministry.The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Friday, October 18, 2013  Pumpkin Wagon near Strasburg, PA "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 |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/31/12)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider an offering 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. Click here to donate online. 2013 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 10/17/13: $15,029.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded to you. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or as an email subscription through Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) Cancel: These messages are only sent from us to people who request it; please accept our apologies if it reached you in error. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on! Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. 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."  How to become a child of God 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. Other versions are also occasionally used. © Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552   Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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