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COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word and Prayer to Heart [Part 2]

COVID-19 [Part 2]

It was Tuesday, March 24, 2020, in Houston Texas—the last day all the nail and hair salons in our area could operate under the newly imposed state laws due to COVID-19.

To me, it was the last day I could get my hair colored gray to match my gray roots!

One week earlier I took the plunge and had 5-6” of my long hair cut off. My wonderful hairdresser (yes, I am showing my age by calling her that) kept three tufts of my hair to skillfully practice various dye methods to see which shade of gray would be best suited for me. Unfortunately, none of the three gray strands fit the bill–and we both recognized that.

Not knowing when the salons would be given the green light to open again, I left the shop both disappointed and empowered—disappointed I could not obtain my gray hair and empowered because I still had the choice not to go through with a dye job.

Perhaps that is how you feel with COVID-19—disappointed, empowered, or both!

Maybe you must Stay-at-Home or Stay-in-Place. Maybe your children are out of school and you don’t know how to teach them remotely or even worse, you are still having to work leaving your children unattended all day. Maybe you have been furloughed and you don’t know if you will have a job when all this is over. Maybe you had to cancel your cruise. Maybe you can’t find food or toilet paper in the grocery stores. Or maybe you have lost half or more of your life savings in the stock market.

Or on the opposite side of the spectrum, maybe you are grateful for the time to do some Spring cleaning. Maybe you are looking forward to just being home with your family. Maybe you are grateful for the time to read and spend time with the Lord. Or maybe you are thankful your church has an online service you can participate in.

The Word of God and Prayer

We may be disappointed in what is going on, but we can also be empowered because we have the choice in how we respond to the circumstances this virus has foisted on us.

I am choosing to spend this time in the Word of God and prayer.

In last week’s post titled COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart, I shared,

The question is, “Why is God allowing this?” Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know that He knew about it and He knew when it [the Coronavirus] would arrive.

Whether the coronavirus is just a medical occurrence or a foreshadowing of what is to come in our world, only our Heavenly Father knows for sure. ¹

And one week later, after reading multiple secular and Christian articles from various viewpoints, I feel the same way.

The Word of God—The Bible—has many purposes in our lives. Click here to read.

But prayer has many purposes in our lives, as well. Prayer . . .

  • Allows for faith, trust, and humility to develop
  • Creates humility and obedience in our lives
  • Builds compassion
  • Unlocks divine resources
  • Allows the Holy Spirit’s presence to guide and help us
  • Equips us to face every situation that comes our way
  • Develops our character
  • Permits us to see situations from God’s perspective
  • Shows us our weaknesses and failings, among other purposes.

Below are some Old Testament Bible verses from the King James Version to help us during this present-day situation.

Read them, pray over them, write them down, memorize them, meditate on them, highlight them in your Bible, or look them up in other Bible versions. But, please take them to heart and let the Holy Spirit of the Living God speak supernaturally to you through prayer.

As in all cases, when a particular verse is shared alone, there is always the possibility it may be misunderstood. I pray that these verses are not in that category. However, if you feel any verse is difficult to understand, out of context, or hard to digest, please take the time to look up the verse and read it in context to completely understand what God is saying to you or to one of his “ancient” servants.

The Pentateuch

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. Exodus 15:13

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19

If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 30:10

And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

The Histories

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Joshua 23:10

And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous. And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the Lord is your way wherein ye go. Judges 18:5-6

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: Ruth 4:15

He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9

And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 2 Samuel 22:1-4

(Elijah says to a widow) And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. 1 Kings 2:3

And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand. 1 Chronicles 14:10

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Ezra 7:10

Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. Nehemiah 1:6

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

Poetry and Wisdom

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Job 5:19

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:8-10

And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:8-9

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday…Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. Psalm 91:5-6, 14

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. Ecclesiastes 11:5

Major Prophets

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Isaiah 43:2-3

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:10

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19

 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36:26-27

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Daniel 9:9

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:2

Minor Prophets

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. Obadiah 1:4

And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Jonah 3:1

Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. Micah 7:7-8

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. Nahum 1:7

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3

Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Haggai 1:5-6

Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee; Zechariah 9:12

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:6

Headlines, Articles, and Reports

This week countless headlines, articles, and reports seemed threatening, gloomy and ominous. Regrettably, we can anticipate more will come this following week, but let’s try looking at them from our Heavenly Father’s viewpoint. We can when we are grounded in His Word and prayer. He will show us how to pray. Let’s not let Satan create a fear in us. That is what he wants to do, so our hearts will worry and stray from God.

Recent headlines include…

  • Health care workers on frontlines feel like ‘lambs to the slaughterhouse’
  • Hedge funder Bill Ackman profited $2.6B in Coronavirus market rout
  • Southwestern Baptist Seminary full-time faculty members were let go for financial reasons
  • Pestilence-Is the coronavirus an end-time biblical plague?
  • Surging traffic is slowing down our Internet
  • Virtual happy hours are the new shut-in activity—and everyone’s invited
  • How can you have a church in the age of social distancing?
  • Women are begging for pills to end their pregnancies
  • The reality is that the disease is beyond our capacity to handle in this country
  • Hospitals across the U.S. consider universal do-not-resuscitate orders for coronavirus patients
  • Texas colleges change to pass-fail grading during the pandemic
  • Amazon delivery guy spits on package

Conclusion

The happenings of the day will create fear, loneliness, and an unsettled feeling to many. But, let’s try looking at them from our Heavenly Father’s viewpoint. It is then, and only then, we can experience the wonders of God (during this time) through prayer and His Word—The Bible.

So as with my hair, I was disappointed I couldn’t reach my goal of leaving the salon with my new gray hair. But, I was empowered I had the choice I could wait for a better day and a better color.

We may be disappointed regarding the state of world affairs right now or we can be empowered to make a difference in our life or in the life of others. It is my choice! And, it is your choice.

God promises to care of us. Just keep looking to Him through prayer and the Word of God.

He loves you.

To read COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart Part 1, click here.

God Bless.

GreenePastures.org

Bible Verses: See above.

Prayers:

“20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic” by Jen Pollock Michel

1. For the sick and infected: God, heal and help. Sustain bodies and spirits. Contain the spread of infection.

2. For our vulnerable populations: God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially the uninsured.

3. For the young and the strong: God, give them the necessary caution to keep them from unwittingly spreading this disease. Inspire them to help.

4. For our local, state, and federal governments: God, help our elected officials as they allocate the necessary resources for combatting this pandemic. Help them to provide more tests.

5. For our scientific community, leading the charge to understand the disease and communicate its gravity: God, give them knowledge, wisdom, and a persuasive voice.

6. For the media, committed to providing up-to-date information: God, help them to communicate with appropriate seriousness without causing panic.

7. For consumers of media, looking to be well-informed: God, help us find the most helpful local information to equip us to be good neighbors. Keep us from anxiety and panic, and enable us to implement the recommended strategies, even at a cost to ourselves.

8. For those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless: God, provide them every necessary support.

9. For the homeless, unable to practice the protocols of social distancing in the shelter system: Protect them from disease, and provide isolation shelters in every city.

10. For international travelers stuck in foreign countries: God, help them return home safely and quickly.

11. For Christian missionaries throughout the world, especially in areas with high rates of infection: God, provide them with words of hope, and equip them to love and serve those around them.

12. For workers in a variety of industries facing layoffs and financial hardship: God, keep them from panic, and inspire your church to generously support them.

13. For families with young children at home for the foreseeable future: God, help mothers and fathers to partner together creatively for the care and flourishing of their children. For single mothers and fathers, grow their networks of support.

14. For parents who cannot stay home from work but must find care for their children: God, present them with creative solutions.

15. For those in need of regular therapies and treatments that must now be postponed: God, help them to stay patient and positive.

16. For business leaders making difficult decisions that affect the lives of their employees: God, give these women and men wisdom, and help them to lead self-sacrificially.

17. For pastors and church leaders faced with the challenges of social distancing: God, help them to creatively imagine how to pastor their congregants and love their cities well.

18. For college and university students, whose courses of study are changing, whose placements are canceled, whose graduation is uncertain: God, show them that while life is uncertain, their trust is in you.

19. For Christians in every neighborhood, community, and city: May your Holy Spirit inspire us to pray, to give, to love, to serve, and to proclaim the gospel, that the name of Jesus Christ might be glorified around the world.

20. For frontline health care workers, we thank you for their vocational call to serve us. We also pray:

  • God, keep them safe and healthy. Keep their families safe and healthy.
  • God, help them to be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, as well as the changing protocols.
  • God, help them to stay clear-minded in the midst of the surrounding panic.
  • God, deliver them from anxiety for their own loved ones (aging parents, children, spouses, roommates).
  • God, give them compassion for every patient in their care.
  • God, provide for them financially, especially if they fall ill and are unable to work.
  • God, help Christians in health care to exhibit extraordinary peace, so that many would ask about the reason for their hope. Give them opportunities to proclaim the gospel. ²

Bibliography

¹ Greene, Patti. “COVID 19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart. Greene Pastures Blog. 24 March 2020. https://greenepastures.org/COVID-19.

² Michel, Jen Pollock, “20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic.” Christianity Today. Mar 18 2020. Accessed Mar 29 2020. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/march-web-only/covid-19-coronavirus-20-prayers-to-pray-during-pandemic.html

All Bible verses come from the King James Version.

Patti Greene’s Bio

Patti Greene is a fun-loving (but serious) coffee drinking wife, mom, and Grammi! She serves as a Bible teacher and Sunday School helper in her home church in Katy, Texas. She writes and speaks with the sole purpose of leading and maturing others in Jesus Christ and His everlasting love. To receive blogs from GreenePastures.org delivered straight to your email, please sign up from this blog or email her at Patti@GreenePastures.org with your email address, and you will be added to the email listing. You will need to confirm your decision to be added to the blog by email. You can also catch up with her on her Twitter feed at (@PattiGreene13) or her Facebook Patti Greene-Pastures page at (https://www.facebook.com/author.greene).

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13 #PattiGreene13 #bgbg2

 

COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word to Heart [Part 1]

COVID-19 [Part 1]

Covid-19, also called coronavirus disease—is the name of the disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, and has led to outbreaks across the globe.

On February 11, 2020, Time reporter Sanya Mansoor describes how the name COVID-19 was named. She states,

The  World Health Organization (WHO) declared an official name for the new coronavirus disease: COVID-19 — making sure not to reference Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus originated. COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 19. “Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be innaccurate or stigmatizing,” said Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.” The WHO referenced guidelines set in 2015 that ensure the name does not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, while still being pronounceable and related to the disease.¹

COVID-19: Changing Lives

COVID-19 has changed our lives this past week.

In one fell swoop, we are now concerned about hand sanitizers, toilet paper, wipes, disinfectants, water and for me—I am concerned about my Diet Cokes.

Empty shelves at the stores are freaking people out.

Work, traveling, and socializing (or the lack thereof), has been reduced or stopped because of this virus.

The financial world is collapsing. Businesses are closing along with many losing their jobs. The stock market is unstable and a potential economic downturn is on the horizon.

In the medical field, surgeries have been canceled, health professionals are scared, and equipment is lacking to handle the virus. Even many physicians’ offices are only offering remote appointments.

Sports games have been canceled. Disney World and Disneyland are closed. Restaurants are shut—except for those equipped for takeout or drive-thru sales. Churches have locked their doors and are trying to manage their congregations remotely. Movie theaters and so many more places are impenetrable all within one week.

New words have arisen this week such as Close Contact, COVID-19, Doomsday Prophets, Epidemic, Essential Business, Financial Disaster, Isolation, Novel Coronavirus, Outbreak, Pandemic, Patient-zero, Public Health Emergency, Quarantine, Remote Learning, Shelter-in-Place, Social Distancing, Social Isolation, and many more.

God and His Word

The question is, “Why is God allowing this?” Honestly, I don’t know. But, I do know that He knew about it and He knew when it would arrive.

Whether the coronavirus is just a medical occurrence or a foreshadowing of what is to come in our world, only our Heavenly Father knows for sure.

The Word of God (The Bible) has many purposes in our lives. It . . .

  • Convicts us of our sins;
  • Gives us His promises;
  • Guides us in moral, ethical and spiritual decisions;
  • Gives us strength and peace;
  • Generously gives us wisdom;
  • Keeps us from false teachings, false teachers and false doctrine;
  • Leads us and others to salvation and eternal life;
  • Gives us consistency in our walk with the Lord;
  • Guides our heart; and
  • Shows us how to minister to others.

Below are some New Testament Bible verses from the King James Version to help during this present-day situation.

Read them, write them down, memorize them, meditate on them, highlight them in your Bible, or look them up in other Bible versions. But, please take them to heart and let the Holy Spirit of the Living God speak to you through them.

God’s Word from the Gospels and Acts

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. Mark 6:50

Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. Mark 13:33

And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. Luke 9:11

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 5:42

God’s Word from the Epistles

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:21

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; Ephesians 3:16

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: Colossians 1:20-22

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 2 Thessalonians 2:13

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 1 Timothy 1:12

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:16

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:11-13

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. Titus 3:1-2

I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 4-6

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Hebrews 5:8-9

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised; Hebrews 10:23

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:2-6

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 1 Peter 5:10

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 2 John 8

But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name. 3 John 14

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Jude 2

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 18-21

God’s Word on Prophecy

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: Revelation 1:17

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:12

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Revelation 12:10

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:18-21

Conclusion

As I have read these verses over and over myself, I know I am grateful that I know I am secure in Jesus Christ no matter what occurs. I wish that for you as well. And you can know as well by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting Him as your Savior!

On a secular note, I am also grateful my hair salon has not been ordered closed. YET!

To read COVID-19: It’s Time to Take God’s Word and Prayer to Heart Part 2, click here.

God Bless.

GreenePastures.org

Bible Verses: Above.

Prayer by Pastor Max Lucado; Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX

Dear Lord,

We’re still hoping we’ll wake up. We’re still hoping we’ll open a sleepy eye and think, “What a horrible dream. How could this have happened?”

Just a moment ago moms were packing school lunches. Just a moment ago chefs were planning the day’s menu. Just a moment ago arenas were noisy, brides were walking down the aisle and neighbors were discussing the weather.

In just a moment, everything changed. A phantom disease invaded our peace, our plans, and our security. In a heartbeat, our language and behaviors were upended. Even young children understand the term “social distancing,” “quarantine,”  and “Covid-19.”

Grandma isn’t allowed visitors in her nursing home. Workers are telecommuting, Zooming, and Skyping in their baseball caps and slippers. Handshakes and hugs have been put on indefinite hold.

This strange season has introduced a level of fear we haven’t seen since 9/11. Fear of what might come. Fear of touching. Fear of exposure. Fear of what we can’t see.

We are anxious, Father. And so we come to you. We don’t ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don’t request; we implore. We know what you can do. We’ve read the accounts. We’ve pondered the stories and now we plead, “Do it again, Lord. Do it again.”

This strange season has introduced a level of fear we haven’t seen since 9/11. Fear of what might come. Fear of touching. Fear of exposure. Fear of what we can’t see.

Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.

Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children, too, Lord. Do it again.

And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

You changed Daniel from a captive into a king’s counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.

What we’re seeing on the news, you saw on that Friday so long ago. Innocence interrupted. Goodness suffering. Mothers weeping. Just as the darkness fell on your Son, we fear the darkness falling on our friends, our family, our world. Just as our world has been shaken by disease, our world was shaken the day the very child of Eternity was pierced.

You saw it. But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After your Son’s three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us another Easter.

We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Selfless acts of service and kindness warm our hearts. Strangers see opportunities to share with others. Our medical warriors are working together, at personal risk, to care for the rest of us. We thank you for their remarkable commitment.

And we see the world turning to you, Father.  People encouraging people with scriptures and reminders of your sovereignty. We read posts urging us to respect each other, care for each other, and lookup. We confess we have been anxious, but because of you, we have hope.

We ask, Father: let your mercy be upon all who suffer.  Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience.  Have mercy upon the souls who have been hurt by this disease. Give us [the] grace to help each other and faith that we might believe. And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years, you’ve used her to heal a hurting world.

Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Through Christ, Amen. ²

Bibliography

¹Manssor, Sanya. “What’s in a Name? Why WHO’s Formal Name for the New Coronavirus Disease Matters.” Time. 11 Feb 2020. Accessed 3-22-2020. https://ti me.com/5782284/who-name-coronavirus-covid-19.

²Lucado, Max. “Max Lucado: A coronavirus prayer – ‘Do it again, Lord.” (Accessed 22 March 2020.) Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/max-lucado-coronavirus-prayer-do-it-again.

All Bible verses come from the King James Version.

Patti Greene’s Bio

Patti Greene is a fun-loving (but serious) coffee drinking wife, mom, and Grammi! She serves as a Bible teacher and Sunday School helper in her home church in Katy, Texas. She writes and speaks with the sole purpose of leading and maturing others in Jesus Christ and His everlasting love. To receive blogs from GreenePastures.org delivered straight to your email, please sign up from this blog or email her at Patti@GreenePastures.org with your email address, and you will be added to the email listing. You will need to confirm your decision to be added to the blog by email. You can also catch up with her on her Twitter feed at (@PattiGreene13) or her Facebook Patti Greene-Pastures page at (https://www.facebook.com/author.greene).

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13 #PattiGreene13 #bgbg2

Targeting Sorrow

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines sorrow as “deep distress, sadness, or regret, especially for the loss of someone or something loved.” ¹

Admit it: we all face sorrow at one time or another.

Sorrow fills our hearts at different times and under different circumstances throughout our lives. We may be distressed over a divorce, disappointed we didn’t get accepted into the college we desired, or regretful because of a poor decision.

King David Faced Sorrow

Old Testament King David experienced both joy and sorrow.

Joy filled his heart when he dedicated and devoted his life to God. Furthermore, on the battlefield, David’s military power and strength exceeded that of all other leaders, earning him the admiration of his God-given abilities and gifts.

However, at other times, David resembled a godforsaken failure. As a child, David lived in obscurity compared to his older brothers. Later in life, though, he defeated Goliath! In his youth, he was constantly running away from King Saul because Saul became jealous of David’s success. As an adult, he lived with harsh consequences due to his sexual lust for (and relationship with) Bathsheba and then his subsequent murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah.

As to be expected, David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba caused him extreme grief and undue sorrow.

David’s Success Plummets

David, who once held a familial relationship with King Saul, escaped from Saul’s horrific wrath by reducing himself to hiding in a cave. David’s psychic characterized his enemies as snarling dogs waiting to attack. All the while knowing that his refuge was in the Lord. David acknowledges his disdain for his enemies in Psalm 59:13-15, where he writes:

13 Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
15 They wander about for food
And growl if they are not satisfied.

We can glimpse more clearly the heart of David as he pleas for God’s help in Psalm 56.

¹ Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.

2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?

5 All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.

7 Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!

8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me . . .

13 For You have delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living. (Psalm 56:1-9;13)

David’s pure and unadulterated prayer to God exposed his dilemma, pleas and desires.

  • His dilemma: He tells God His foes were fighting him (Psalm 56:1-2);
  • His plea: He asks God to put his tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8) and;
  • His desire: He asks God to be gracious to him and to cast his enemies forth, so he may walk before God. Psalm 56:1, 7, 10.

David approached God in confidence—all the while knowing that God knew the true state of his circumstances and heart.

God knows the true state of our hearts as well. When the walls are closing in around us and when we cry out to the Lord, the prudent thing to do is to follow David’s example by sharing everything that is on our heart with Him. At many times, our thoughts and desires are meant only to be expressed to God. Some say, “Why should we tell God? He already knows everything.” But, when we share our inner thoughts with Him, He is pleased to see us entrusting our lives to Him in prayer and conversation.

Only God knows the true state of our hearts—not the person sitting next to you, your parents, or your spouse.

What Thoughts Should Fill Our Mind When We Are Sorrowful?

Deal With Sorrow

We all experience sorrow at some point in our lives: the death of a parent, a divorce, an unfulfilled desire, a jealous spirit. If you haven’t experienced sorrow yet, it will come.

The emotional pain from our circumstances can linger for years or decades. Some carry grief, regret or sorrow their entire lives by ignoring the pain and blocking their sorrow. Be that as it may, blocking our sorrow can cause serious problems, such as suicidal thoughts, hate and physical illnesses.

To illustrate this point, let’s look at the agonizing pain of a broken heart—medically called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Broken hearts can affect men and women,  and young and old. Doctors now say that having a broken heart is real: it mimics heart attack symptoms and can lead to heart failure. ²

I know it’s real. I experienced it as a young adult due to a boyfriend-girlfriend breakup—although at that time there was not a medical term for what one experiences with undue pressure, stress and sorrow. It took six months to finally release the severe heaviness stirring in my heart. Then decades to release the emotional pain!

Let’s take care not to dismiss the extreme pain many high school students and young adults feel when losing a relationship or any desire of the heart. God knows and cares about all these types of experiences.

We need Him to hold our sorrows and tears so we can move on and be useful to Him, and when we are being used by Him, we will flourish in our Christian walk.

Cry: Tears – Chasing a Rabbit

God loves us so much that He puts our tears in His bottle. Some Hebrew Bible scholars use the word wineskins or containers in place of the word bottle. The opening of a wineskin is so small that liquid can be poured in carefully resulting in very little evaporation. Either way, David asks God to look at his tears of fear and pain. David’s tears were so precious that He preserves each one. He does the same for us.

There are three types of tears: Basal tears, irritant tears, and emotional tears.

Basal tears keep our eyes lubricated. These tears are needed to prevent damage from the sun, air, or debris.

Irritant tears occur when we are hit by the wind, sand or even an onion.

Emotional tears show up in moments of intense feelings; sometimes joy, but more often sorrow. They contain stress hormones.

Our eyes generate tears under all these circumstances. This is one reason that crying is therapeutic when we are under a lot of stress. ³

In Here’s Scientific Evidence That Crying Can by Therapeutic, Anna Almendrala states, “new research shows that while shedding a few tears leads to a dip in mood immediately after the crying jag, about 90 minutes later people report feeling even better than they did before they had reason to cry.” ⁴

In Psalm 56, David was experiencing emotional tears. When we are going through an emotional crisis, our emotional tears pour out and are collected by our Heavenly Father as were David’s tears. Then when God has prepared us, trained us, and is ready to use us, He will use those tears. He will tilt that bottle or wineskin until the tears that you have shed can be used for His glory.

Jesus was not ashamed to shed tears. He wept at the raising of Lazarus. He wept over Jerusalem. And, He wept in agony at Gethsemane.

The Lord is aware of our suffering and sorrow.  Crying is a gift from God, and He wants to bottle up our tears and record them in His book. (Psalm 56:8c)

Remember, Life Happens

Toilets break, dates are broken, jobs are lost, children have life-long illnesses, parents disown their children, young couples encounter infertility, spouses die, malignant tumors appear out of nowhere. I love what my pastor recently said when he said, “anything that can happen to anyone else can happen to us.” So true!

It is vitally important that we know what to do when “life happens”—this includes emotional, mental, physical or spiritual misfortunes. Often times, we see our trials as solely physical, but trials can be emotional, mental, physical, and/or spiritual in nature.

The problem is we insist on running our own lives when we really need to be still and set our sights on God. Sometimes our pain is so deep, we can’t even talk to others about it, but we must talk to God. When life happens and tears fill our eyes, we must remember that God is right there with us as we cry, mourn and seek peace.

Jesus guides believers through life. Unfortunately, sometimes we act like we are “La-Z-Boy believers”,  i.e. too lazy to be still before God; too lazy to read our Bible; too lazy to pray; too lazy to make some Christian friends. Let’s change that today!

In Our Sorrow, God Always Has a Plan For Us

Our Lord deeply desires to give us peace when we encounter sadness and sorrow. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could bank on the fact that God knows our future and the future of our family? Well, we can!

Most of us don’t want to go through any circumstances that would refine us to be all God wants us to be. We take our wounds and try to hide them, so the same wounds keep coming up time after time; marriage after marriage; job after job. Then, bitterness sneaks in.

James 1:12 says, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Folks, life throws us curves.  We need to anticipate the curves. We need to be” pre-prayed up” so we are ready when those curves come speeding toward us. We must learn to trust God always, even when we cannot understand what is happening.  If you are anxious about the future, turn to God. When you are confused, take refuge in Him because He has a plan for our lives.

Look at your afflictions and sorrows as a means God has chosen to refine, purify and mold you into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

“God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.”   — C. S. Lewis

God Uses Our Sorrow and Suffering for His Glory

God is doing a great work in us that can only come to fruition as we learn to trust Him, no matter how dark and dreary our life may seem. When we stop asking God why we are experiencing sorrow, and instead start applying our pain and sorrow for His glory, a milestone in our Christian life has been reached!

Pastor Tony Evans compares our sorrows to “The Temptations” hit song My Girl. When the song lyrics say, “When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May,” Evans says, [Look! My external circumstances are bad, but what can make me feel this way—My girl. He had a love relationship. You may be in a cloudy situation, but when it’s cold outside you can still have the month of May. My God can change your emotional strongholds]—when you have a relationship with God. ⁵

Every person must make the crucial choice to choose God or not choose God. By allowing the Holy Spirit to lead our lives, we develop trust in Him knowing He will control our lives way better than we can. Why? Because He knows the big picture, and we don’t!

Most often, those who have had the deepest spiritual impact in the world are those who have endured the most suffering because suffering produces holiness, strength and endurance.

Looking back over your life, where have you come from? What circumstances have happened in your life? Have you asked God what He wants you to do? He probably won’t show you the big picture of your life—even though He knows it! But we have the joy and privilege of asking Him to show us one step at a time.

Ask the Lord the following questions:

  • What needs to be refined in my life?
  • What areas do I need to improve upon? [My sins and logs]
  • Then repent, move on, and ask Him how He can use you.

When We Surrender Our Lives to Jesus Christ, He Will Give Us Peace

Let God carry your earthly burdens and concerns.

In addition, one thing I have learned in life is that “surrendering all to God” can be the most painful task we can undertake. It is painful because we have to confess our sins, give up all our earthly desires and trust solely in Him. It may not come all in one sitting. It may come over time. But through the pain, God is refining us, maturing us and making us more Christ-like. And as believers, that should be our ultimate goal, even if it is a grueling task, because our job is to joyfully endure to the end of our earthly life.

As I have grown in my walk with the Lord, I know the more time I spend with God reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on His Word, and releasing my cares, sorrows, and trials to Him, the more I want to obey Him and His Word.

Conclusion

Moreover, as we each move through our earthly life, let’s not forget that, in that life, we all experience sorrow in the form of deep distress, sadness, or regret. We will all make mistakes and blow it—just like David did. But, let’s not dwell only on David’s failures. Let’s look at how He chose to sum up the lessons learned as he imparts his wisdom to his son Solomon.

“As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn.” (1 Kings 2:1-3)

Bible Verses

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:3)

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Prayer

Oh, my dear Jesus. When times of sorrow fill my heart, let me remember You foremost. Let me come to You and share my sorrows, concerns, and trials. Let me lay them at Your feet. You are my comforter. It is in You whom I want to always depend upon and trust. Help me to be all I can be for Your honor and glory. I love you. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member

BibleGateway Blogger, Member

SBC, Church Member

Works Cited

¹ “sorrow.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2019. http://www.merriam-webster.com (1 July 2019).

² Q13 News Staff. “Doctors say having a broken heart is real: Here are the symptoms.” Web. 14 Feb 2018.

³ Roizen, Michael. “What are the three different types of tears found in our eyes.” Sharecare. Web. Accessed 1 July 2019.

⁴ Almendrala, Anna. “Here’s scientific evidence that crying can be therapeutic.” Web. 25 Aug 2015.

⁵ Evans, Tony. “Overcoming Emotional Strongholds.” Podcast. One Place. Web. Accessed 29 June 2019.

Edited by E. Johnson.

All verses are from the New American Standard Bible unless noted otherwise.

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13

#bgbg2

What Everybody Ought to Know About Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare—An Introduction

What is Spiritual Warfare?

Spiritual warfare is the struggle between spiritual principalities and our human weakness—evil vs. good!

For our spiritual well-being, there are many lessons in the Bible which Christ-followers should be mindful. Lessons abound such as how to manage money, how to pray, how to grow from babes in Christ into mature Christians, and more.

In this article, we will be looking at one vital lesson: Combating sin before it begins! And that usually involves believers engaging in some level of SPIRITUAL WARFARE. We will learn how spiritual warfare operates in the lives of Christ-followers and how to face the battles when they come upon us. In understanding how to contend with the struggle between good and evil, knowledge of the following terms or phrases are requisites: spiritual warfare; the adversary—Satan and his demons; testing, trials, and temptation; and Jesus Christ—our mediator. This exposé will address spiritual warfare and how to overcome the temptation to sin.

Books, articles, and sermons have been written on the topic of spiritual warfare, and in many of these works, authoritative figures discuss the difficulty of sharing this topic. It is difficult because Satan does not want believers to be aware of his schemes and tactics.

This article is no different. There have been multiple roadblocks in preparing this article—time constraints, issues with unworthiness, and fighting spiritual warfare myself. I prayed extensively, read God’s Word for hours, and fought the fear of misspeaking. My notes and drafts for this article have been on the shelf, off the shelf, back on the shelf. If I misspeak, I apologize. I know many different opinions abound on the topic of “spiritual warfare.” But, now I am ready to “bite the bullet” and push the “publish” button. Happy reading.

My Dangriga Story

Back in 1992, my husband and I, along with our children—ages 2, 4, and 6—were traveling in an old dilapidated school bus through the country of Belize. Our eight-hour bus trip originated in Belize City and the final destination was to be Punta Gorda—a poor seacoast city in Southern Belize. Midway through our journey, about 20 miles outside of the city of Dangriga, an extremely evil presence fell upon me. The closer we came to the city, the stronger this presence felt.

Around nine o’clock in the evening, the bus stopped for a short break in Dangriga. My daughter and I had to use the restroom but to get there the family had to split up since the men’s facilities were behind where the bus stopped. Unfortunately, my daughter Jennifer and I had to cross a wide, pitch-black deserted street. Being frightened by the eeriness and evilness of the town, I tightly held six-year-old Jennifer’s hand. The atmosphere exuded danger and wickedness. Being weighed down by oppression I had never felt before, I feared an attack on our lives. I was terrified we would never make it back to the bus after our jaunt to the toilet. While in the dark stand-alone structure, I began to whisper the name of Jesus over and over in my mind. Notice I did not call on the name of Jesus verbally; I was too petrified to draw any attention to ourselves.

After crossing the street and making our way back to the bus, Jennifer and I mounted the bus steps, and the family proceeded to Punta Gorda. It was only after we traveled about 20 miles outside of the city that I felt the heavy burden leave me.

Satan is Real

Later, I learned that traditional witchcraft was prevalent in Dangriga. The Garifuna—an ethnic group of people living in Dangriga—were known for contacting the spirits of the dead and for their faith in shamanism, a spiritual practice that interacts with the spiritual world.

I share this story to tell you that Satan is real. He and his demons roam the earth looking for those they can devour. His presence comes in many ways, even today. We can feel his demons operating; maybe not so dramatically or even in the same way.

Satan Roams

The spiritual warfare I will be addressing here is the kind where temptation dominates in Christ-followers’ lives—the kind which impacts believers’ hearts to the point of deep agony, a piercing pain, or a tormenting temptation.

The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it” (Job 2:2)

Satan approaches believers with the goal of destroying those who love Christ. But before I get too far in this article, I am going to give you a “spoiler alert” about who ultimately wins the battle. This alert will be your notice that I am giving away the plot—the ending of the story!

The winner of the battle is JESUS CHRIST! You can win the battle against Satan because victory is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:57–58).

Live in the Spiritual Realm

Spiritual warfare is the battle between our spiritual principalities and human vulnerabilities—the fight to resist evil. When we live in our humanness, we lean towards evil by sinning and turning away from God’s plan and commandments. The moment we live in God’s spiritual realm, we lean towards godly thinking and living a life possessing the Christlike fruits of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are in a struggle between the powers of good and evil; this is spiritual warfare. The temptation to sin comes in many ways. It can come upon you suddenly or it can gradually sneak up and catch you in an ambush. Satan knows where and how to personalize the struggle we may face now or in the future.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

Who Experiences Spiritual Warfare?

Only believers, those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, experience spiritual warfare.

Satan and his demons hate Jesus. He hates it when a new Christian receives salvation. Likewise, he hates it when a believer is living a Christ-like life serving Jesus full-force. Solid, sold-out believers may consciously experience the gut-wrenching fight between good and evil; some call this fight fighting strongholds—strongholds being areas in our mind or in our personality that cause us distress through our mind, spirit, or soul. Satan knows our weaknesses and he will use whatever he can to destroy us. Examples of spiritual warfare can be continual thoughts (thoughts you can’t get out of your mind) ranging from dwelling on success at work, struggling not to take the next hit of cocaine, or a temptation towards a sin, which if heeded, could destroy a reputation or livelihood.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIVUK).

What Does The Book of James Say?

So, what are Christ-followers to do when facing tests, trials, and temptations? The book of James gives us the answer:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind . . . Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death (James 1:3–5, 12–15).

If we have been a Christ-follower for very long and are honestly trying to live for the Lord, we will encounter spiritual warfare—that deep pull that calls us to turn our back on what we know is right. Lukewarm believers are not as likely to encounter the deep pangs associated with Satan’s drag.

It is when we are involved in truly trying to live for the Lord that these deep struggles occur.

Satan knows there isn’t much benefit in trying to draw a person who isn’t totally committed to God’s way in this type of battle because they are already ineffective in their witness for God. But, those who are committed and love Jesus with all their heart and want to obey Him in truth and honesty will encounter the fight between good and evil on a much deeper level at one or more times in their Christian walk. Why? Because Satan does not want God’s kingdom to enlarge through salvation or discipleship. When strong believers are tested, and they succumb, Satan can thwart these believers’ faith and it can cause havoc in their lives.

Satan—The Adversary

The Father of Lies

We know that Jesus Christ wins the battle over Satan. But Satan still tries to get into the minds of Christ-followers through temptations and trials. He attempts to confuse us and sway us away from all Godly behavior and thoughts. The Scripture tells us that Jesus does not tempt anyone—thus leaving Satan as the cunning and crafty tempter (See James 1:13).

We must look at Satan as our adversary and Jesus Christ as our mediator. Girding us with His strength, Jesus fights our battles as we face Satan’s persuasive temptations and relentless trials.

The Bible calls Satan the Father of Lies (John 8:44), but he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Satan and his demons want us to fail as we go through testing and trials. Demons are fallen angels who follow Satan. Their plan is: to ruin God’s plan, obstruct people from working for the Lord, and deceive us into believing sin is acceptable.

Don’t be fooled by Satan—the master of lies and deception.

We may hear phrases, like those below, in our mind or from other people. Be alert and be aware that these types of statements are NOT to be believed.

“Dipping in the company fund one time won’t hurt you—God knows you need the money.”

“Pornography isn’t hurting anyone. You are in the room all by yourself.”

“So, what if she/he is married? She/he isn’t happily married.”

Satan wants us to sin. He wants us to be disobedient to the laws and mandates of God. He tempts us with the deeds of the flesh.

The Bible speaks of those encouraging sin as those disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13–14).

Sometimes we experience deep temptations from Satan. Other times we experience tests from God to prove our devotion to him. As in the case of Job, God allowed Satan to test Job. Job lost his family, his friends, his possessions, and his health. We must recognize that spiritual warfare attacks are from Satan—the deceiver—even though sometimes God has given permission for Satan to tempt us to test our faith and loyalty to Him.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19–21).

Spiritual Warfare is Intense

Sometimes the spiritual warfare we face may be intense! It is often so deep that one might feel the only way to rid themselves of this battle is to succumb to it. But we must persevere through these times. We must stand firm and fight the temptation with every fiber of our being. The trial or struggle may seem strange. It may come out of nowhere. By the same token, it may be a terrifying internal struggle that no one knows you are going through or it can be out in the open and even be physically manifested in fatigue, depression, or an oppressed appearance. But the lure is real. Satan wants us to fall prey to his schemes because he wants to make us ineffective for Jesus Christ. But God will use these times to test our character to see if we can be shaken.

In Spiritual Warfare: How to Stand Firm in the Faith, Ray Stedman says,

Among Christians, the devil will often attack in the realm of the intellect to lead us to be overly obsessed with certain points of theology. There are many Christians who pride themselves on being intense students of the Bible and systematic theology . . . I believe that one of the greatest triumphs of Satan has been his strategy of pulling people away from a simple childlike faith and leading them into endless pointless disputes over doctrinal minutiae. ¹

I like Stedman’s word obsessed. While he is talking about being obsessed with theology, we can be obsessed with other things—our marriage, our reputation, our jobs. Satan will use what he needs to in our thought life to lead us away from fulfilling God’s will for our lives. We cannot fight the enemy’s strongholds in our own strength. Satan wants to make us a worthless witness for Christ. While Christ will forgive our sins, those trespasses can create havoc in individuals’ lives and cause all one has worked for in their lives to collapse and/or be destroyed.

Jesus Christ—Our Mediator

A few years ago, my husband and I were in downtown Belize City. When we left a fabric store, I noticed a group of young boys around 8 or 9 years old following my husband with their eyes fixed on the wallet in his back pocket. I knew what they were planning, so I fell back behind my husband and walked between my husband and the boys, preventing a pickpocketing incident from occurring. Acting as a mediator between my husband and the boys, I kept the crime from ever occurring.

That is exactly what Jesus—our mediator—wants us to do. He wants to step in and prevent sin from transpiring. He wants us to turn to Him and be our mediator. Just as I was being a mediator that one summer day, Jesus wants to be our mediator to prevent us from falling into sin. Leaning on Him for our strength is our source of power.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time (1 Timothy 2:5–6).

Christ is Stronger Than the Devil

Christ is stronger than the devil. He defeated Satan on the cross. While Satan can afflict people, he cannot defeat God. Satan is intelligent and deceitful; he knows our weak points and he tempts us in those areas. We must remember that the demon’s goals are to impair and wreck lives. The Bible says we must know the schemes of the devil. By being aware of the devil’s schemes, God’s children can face current or future battles with understanding, discernment, and strength.

Through persistent prayer, immersion in God’s Word and possible fasting, this struggle can be won. This battle belongs to the Lord and Jesus is our mediator to help us through it. There is a form of darkness that comes to us when we experience this agonizing form of spiritual warfare, but the battle is still His. Satan presses in hard, but we should not be fearful. We should give the Lord glory and honor by relinquishing our lack of strength and power to Him, so He can fight the devil on our behalf.

Complete Surrender

When a Christ-follower has finally made it safely through this excruciating period, they must still be diligent and on guard, in case the same temptation comes upon us later—maybe next month or maybe in the next decade. We must put on the armor of God and fight this severe temptation with complete surrender, trusting that God through our mediator Jesus Christ is the only one able to take our weaknesses and make us strong.

Finally, be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:10–16).

Testing, Trials, and Temptations

The Battlefield

Spiritual Warfare—All struggles on the battlefields of life come with various degrees of force and intensity. They are fought for different reasons. Our spiritual battles come with unique purposes, although all are under the umbrella of capturing the souls of God’s children rendering us useless for Him. The devil does not show up in a bright red suit with pointy ears waving his pitchfork. He comes as an angel of light. The sooner we realize this deception, the better off we will be.

Most intense testing, trials, and temptations come:

  • Before a big spiritual assignment
  • After a big spiritual victory
  • To those already working for the Kingdom of God
  • When we are weak, discouraged, and tired
  • As soon as ministry opportunities are not pursued or available
  • When we are frustrated, and more

Encountering and Persevering Under Trials

The Bible addresses the testing, trials, and temptations we face in the following verses. As you read through these verses, bear in mind that we grow spiritually through our suffering and adversity.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:2–8).

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures (James 1:12–18).

Understanding the Spiritual Battle

Deep spiritual warfare is an agonizing time! Our minds continually dwell on the sin Satan is working full-time to pull us into. We feel helpless at the time to avoid that tug in our hearts to stray, but we must. Understand that this struggle we experience is not just a natural battle, but a battle intended to disrupt our ministry, deceive us, and eliminate the promises God has given us throughout the entire Bible.

Just because Satan comes banging on our door, we are not defeated. Even when he messes with our mind—and he does—Jesus Christ is our refuge. At times, the spirit of evil can confuse our thoughts so powerfully creating: an inability to think clearly; hopelessness when ungodly thoughts become obsessions; and/or helplessness in overcoming our discontentment, gloominess, or sadness.

David was facing imminent danger when he wrote Psalm 57. He had been taken in by the Philistines when he fled from Saul. This psalm was written during this time of great uncertainty and trial, but he holds fast to God—exactly what we should do when Satan gets hold of our mind, soul, and/or spirit. David’s prayer pleads for relief from these kinds of tormentors BEFORE it leads to sin.

Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.
Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God! (Psalm 56:1–7)

Satan’s Banquet

On November 28, 1958, Charles Haddon Spurgeon—an English Particular Baptist preacher—preached a sermon titled “Satan’s Banquet.” In this sermon, he used the analogy of the four courses of a banquet to compare one’s temptation to sin to the miracle of Cana (John 2:1-12).

At the miracle of Cana, there was a wedding and Jesus’ mother was there along with Jesus. When the wine gave out, Jesus’ mother told the servants to do whatever Jesus said. Jesus told them to fill the water pots with water and they filled them to the brim. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine and he told the bridegroom that, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer.”

Spurgeon’s analogy of wine to sin is:

1st Course of Sin—Good wine – Satan makes sin look good. Spurgeon describes the cup of Satan as, “But O how sweet it is! How it makes his blood tingle within him.” At this point, one may have no intention [of] being enticed to sin, but he finally does.

2nd Course of Sin—Wine is not so sparkling – Satan has lured a person to sin and now the person has had enough of pleasure. A person succumbed to sin, but it isn’t that enticing to him anymore. The fun he once had has gone flat and dull.

3rd Course of Sin—Wine now comes in a black goblet – When he drinks the wine, he shrieks and says, “O God! That ever I must come to this!” The suffering is to come because of iniquity.

4th Course of Sin—Horrors from the last cup – A persons’ hope and dreams have vanished. His sin haunts him. ²

Spiritual Attacks

It is critical to fight all spiritual attacks as soon as they appear. A spiritual attack unaddressed can oppress ones’ faith and future. Casual everyday prayers are not enough; we need to plead, cry, wail, knee, fast, or even lay prostrate before our Lord and beg Jesus Christ to sever all thoughts and desires from the devil to sin from our mind. As believers, demons cannot enter us, but they can disrupt our thinking, sway our beliefs, and make us doubt our sincerity to God.

We must fight against ungodly thoughts and behaviors with every fiber of our being. We must humble ourselves and pray and keep doing that until the urge or desires have left us. It may take months or years, but it is worth every ounce of fighting we must do to protect ourselves. We may have to desperately call out to the Lord to take our thoughts captive.

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Spiritual warfare may show up differently in different people. Since God knitted us together in our mothers’ wombs, we are all different—different personalities, different weakness, different tugs. Some common ways Christians experience spiritual warfare are when we possess revenge we can’t shake off, jealousy we can’t quench, all types of sexual temptations, or any desire which fills our minds with a longing and yearning to sin.

Is it Spiritual Warfare or Sin?

It is important to remember that the temptation is not sinning. It is better to be struggling in warfare than to step over the line into sin—disobedience to our heavenly Father and Lord.

It is when we cross the line that consciences are seared, reputations are ruined, souls are damaged, that our relationship with God is negatively affected, and our walk with Him might be permanently marred. Crossing over from spiritual warfare into sin has consequences. These consequences might not rear their ugly heads right away, but somewhere, somehow sin will interfere or sidetrack us and lead us away from God’s imminent plan.

How to Overcome Spiritual Warfare

When we are in the pangs of spiritual warfare, it means we have not yet succumbed to the treachery of sin. There is still hope for sin to be averted.

We must actively be on the alert for Satan’s attempt to lead us to sin. Some tips for prevention are:

  • Ask God to take the object of our warfare away because it is not profitable for our soul
  • Ask God to replace our thoughts with godly thoughts and ministries
  • Keep busy and don’t allow boredom or idleness to abound during this period
  • Ask for prayers from mature Christians. (We do not need to tell them our specific vice if we don’t want to, but just ask for prayers.) God knows what we are dealing with and He wants to help us through it, so when it is over, we can say, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)
  • Watch the areas where you are the weakest and plead with God to keep us within the confines of our place and our calling

If We Succumb to Sin, Does God Forgive Us?

Of course, He does. God is a forgiving God and when we repent of our sins and turn from our “wicked” ways, He is there for us—with open arms—ready to forgive us and lead us back into a full relationship with Him. But there still may be consequences and scars. As soon as we recognize our sins and turn back to God, He accepts us back into His fold to love, cherish, and forgive us.

In the February 2018 issue of Decision magazine, Billy Graham said,

“Forgiveness is one of the most beautiful words in the human vocabulary.” ³

God goes on to say,

. . .and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

But, what if you are the tempter—a Christian that Satan is using—to tempt another person? With your allurement, you may lead someone else to follow in your footsteps. After a while, you may move on and repent, but what you have led the other person to do cannot be undone! When you are the perpetrator leading others to sin, you have sent them directly into Satan’s grasp and you don’t know how long they might remain there.

While you might confess your “mistakes” and move on in your relationship with the Lord, you can’t make the other person turn to God or back to God. At this point, their spiritual life is completely out of your hands. They may go the rest of their life being led astray by Satan or become so obsessed with your mutual sin that they are numb to the things of God—all because of your sin and its enticement upon them. Only God can rescue them at this point, but they may not choose Him because of the hurt, deceit, fraud, or distress you inflicted upon them.

Anglican clergyman William Gurnall says,

“Even after you’re dead and gone, your sins may be perpetuated in those who are alive, generation after generation.” ⁴

Now, that is serious business!

William Gurnall states, “Do not try to stave off the onslaughts of Satan in your own strength. Tell God you are afraid of what may happen if He does not intercept these wicked imaginations . . . Seal the windows of [your] heart in prayer to control your thoughts, ask Christ to control your heart.” ⁴

Be Alert

It used to scare me at first whenever a SECURITY ALERT came through on my email when we lived in Lagos, Nigeria. These alerts were sent out from either my husband’s company or the U.S. Consulate warning us of possible danger. But, the more alerts I received, the less scared I became. I got used to them as just part of life and didn’t put much weight into them.

Some of these security alerts consisted of the following warnings.

  • An increasing trend is hijackers trailing unsuspecting victims. Some are robbed and some are unfortunately held for ransom;
  • Criminals side brush unsuspecting vehicles or hit them from behind to force drivers to stop, after which they are robbed or kidnapped;
  • Be extremely vigilant and develop a situational awareness that may enable you to avoid victimization;
  • Avoid night time traveling;
  • Keep a low profile and dress unassumingly;
  • Be alert at all times – don’t ignore any suspicious circumstances.

The last alert is the most general alert and probably the most important alert as it involves how we were to live every day of our lives in the country we were living in at the time.

As I pondered these alerts, I thought about how similar these alerts are to a Biblical alert we read about in the Scriptures.

Paul, the author of Ephesians, urges us to put on the full spiritual armor of God. Paul wants us to understand that we can fight the fiery darts of Satan who is very active in trying to trip us up and lead us away from our trust and dependence on God.

We may not live in a country with evils such as ISIS, suicide bombers, extremists, and beheadings. However, we are all surrounded by the wiles of the devil. Satan might be attacking us in the form our idols, our fleshly desires, a false gospel, physical afflictions, selfishness, friendships with the world, addictions, media, or worldly wisdom – just to name a few. We need to recognize the methods Satan uses to attack us and stand firm against his schemes. No one has given us a more wise strategy for living than God.

The Armor of God

Put On the Whole Armor of God: Ephesians 6:10-17

In Ephesians 6:10-17, the apostle Paul says to put on the whole armor of God:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:10-17 ESV).

Understanding the Armor of God

Let’s take a look at the individual pieces of the armor of God. Below you will find a fact, an action, a verse from God’s Word, and a quote from The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall—a 1600 English Puritan and Anglican clergyman that believed in standing firm in Christ by using the graces listed in Ephesians 6. ⁵

1. Truth

Fact: God’s truth will keep us secure in Christ.

Action: Confess all known sins and get rid of all deceptions and commit yourself daily to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth.”

Quote: Love for God makes the soul inquisitive to find out what is dear to God so it can express tenderness to truth and thereby give love to Him.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness

Fact: Satan is trying to attack us with lies or reminders of our past sins.

Action: We must guard our hearts against Satan and live for the righteousness of Christ by being obedient to God’s ways and will.

Bible: “and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”

Quote: Righteousness and holiness are God’s protection to defend the believer’s conscience from all wounds inflicted by sin.

3. Feet

Fact: Satan will put obstacles in our paths. He wants us to stumble.

Action: Prepare yourself through Bible study, prayer, meditation, confession and more, so you can confidently walk in Jesus’ ways wherever you go and wherever He may lead you.

Bible: “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

Quote: God does not want the saint to stand still and fret or to have to be coaxed to move but to follow Christ voluntarily, as a soldier follows his captain. Yet Christ is not like a general who drives his men into battle whether they want to go or not . . . A heart full of grace will follow Jesus into the wilderness of affliction as willingly as a lover goes with her beloved into a quiet garden to enjoy his presence. By His Word and by His Spirit Christ satisfied the Christian, making him want to be with Him anywhere.

4. Shield of Faith

Fact: Satan will try to put doubts in our mind. Hold on to your faith.

Action: Trust that your faith will defend all the unholy darts that may be projected upon you.

Bible: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

Quote: Faith is the only messenger which can bring good news from heaven to the heart. It is faith that proclaims the promise, opens Christ’s riches, and pours out His name to increase love in believers. Whenever faith wins the character of Christ out of the Word and presents Him to us in all His loveliness, we are sweetly drawn to Him.

5. Helmet of Salvation

Fact: Our thinking needs to be protected because Satan loves to make us doubt our salvation and God.

Action: We must be sure that Jesus is our security through salvation in Christ. [If you are unsure about your relationship with Christ, understand that we are all born with a sinful nature, but when we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to be part of our life, we can have the assurance of salvation and eternal life.]

Bible: “and take the helmet of salvation,”

Quote: As a Christian soldier you must always stand in a defensive posture with your armor on, ready to defend the treasure God has given you to keep and to repel Satan’s assaults.

6. Sword of the Spirit

Fact: The Word of God is our weapon against the attacks of Satan.

Action: Read and study the Bible. It is God’s tool to prevent Satan’s strongholds and thoughts from infiltrating into our lives.

Bible: “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”

Quote: As the sword defends the soldier it offends his enemy. Thus God’s Word is a killing sword as well as a keeping sword. Not only does it keep the believer from surrendering to external temptation but it kills his inward lusts and completes the victory.

7. Prayer

If we are not in prayer, our reliance on God is diminished allowing spiritual warfare much easier access to our lives. We must pray for the mind of Christ. Set aside time every day to pray and listen to God’s Word. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

And as Paul concludes, he says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:18-20 ESV

Wrapping Up

In Nigeria, it didn’t take me long to learn how to conduct myself in Lagos—a city of 22 million people. For survival, I learned to be bold. I learned to walk with confidence. I learned how to talk to those who tried to intimidate me. I learned not to walk in the streets alone (if ever).

When I maneuvered through Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport all by myself one day, I found I was able to hold my head high, shuffle through the crowd, ward off swindlers, tow my baggage, and reach my destination. That day I knew I had accomplished a feat many foreigners fail to achieve—to feel confident in their walk!

It’s the same when Christ-followers trust in the God of the Armor. We soon feel confident in our walk with Christ. We can hold our head above inconsequential disagreements, controversial church strategies, and/or misinterpreted theology. We can move through the crowd with discernment. We can experience godly tranquility when Satan’s fiery darts come at us. We will have the knowledge needed to handle our past, present, and future experiences and attacks. But, most of all, we will have faith that our destination with Jesus Christ is secure and one day we will be living in glory with Him in Heaven.

Just as our Nigerian security alerts warned us how to proceed even before any unknown danger might occur, so does the Bible warn us how to be pre-prepared against the schemes of the devil, because we never know when he might attack. It is so easy to become ensnared in the devil’s traps, and the best way to be on guard is to put on THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD—even before the temptations and evils come upon us. This can be accomplished by following Ephesians 6:18-20 with a sincere and longing heart to please our Lord and Savior.

God Bless,

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member

BibleGateway Blogger, Member

SBC, Church Member

Bible Verses:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (Job 1:2–7)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. (Psalm 34:14)

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. (Deuteronomy 20:1)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17 ESV

Four Prayers To Choose From if Teaching From This Blog

  1. Dear heavenly Father, most days I experience some low-level discomfort fighting between good and evil—right and wrong. However, at some point in my life, I may experience fierce intense spiritual warfare from Satan and his demons. Please prepare me ahead of time, so when the time comes I have the strength to overcome my human weaknesses. Let me be wholly sold out to You and to Your Word. Give me the strength to overcome the fiery darts of Satan. Let me never give up fighting against sin. Allow Your light to be a lamp unto my feet. Let me recognize these battles are not of flesh and blood, but they are spiritual battles “against powers and principalities beyond my physical being.” Hopefully, I won’t fail You, but if I do, please convict me to return to You by repenting and turning away from my sin as quickly as possible, so I can walk in Your ways again. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
  2. Dear Lord Jesus, I believe You are the source of protection. Protect me from my weaknesses and temptations. I want to draw closer and closer to You. I need Your power to overcome the fiery darts flung on me. I am choosing You today and every day, so You can use me for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
  3. Dear Lord, I love You, but lately, I have been tempted beyond control. I need You to help me face the severe trials I am going through. Let my faith be so strong that, in my weaknesses and temptations, I can avert any turning away from Your plan for my life. Use me Lord for Your service. I need Your power and love to pour down on me. I seek Your face daily and depend on Your Holy Scriptures to keep me strong and honorable. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
  4. Dear heavenly Father, Thank You for all You have given me. You have given me the means to escape the evilness of this world. Thank You for being so generous to me. Thank You for forgiving me for my failures. You always take my hand and bring me back to You even when I fall into Satan’s schemes. You are stronger than him and I am grateful for all the tools and love You have given me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Works Cited

¹ Stedman, Ray. Spiritual Warfare: How to Stand Firm in the Faith. Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1999.

² Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. Spurgeon Sermons, vol. 5. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2013.

³ Graham, Billy. Decision Magazine. Feb 2018. Print.

⁴ Gurnall, William. The Christian in Complete Armour, Vol. 1. Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1996.

⁵ Ibid.

Bible verses are taken from the NASB if not noted otherwise.

Edited by E. Johnson

All Rights Reserved.

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Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13

#bgbg2

The Bible: The Best-Selling Book of All Time

What is the Bible?

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time from many different ranking sources. Estimations state that over 2.5 billion copies of the Bible have been sold since the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. Additionally, it is also the most compelling account available to us of all creation, from the beginning of time through the end of the ages. ¹

The Christian Bible consists of 66 different books—39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Writers of GotQuestions.org claim that “While the Bible is a unified book, differences abound between the Old Testament and the New Testament. However, in many ways, they are also complimentary. While the Old Testament is foundational; the New Testament builds on that foundation with further revelation from God.”

Old Testament

The Old Testament delves into the beginning of the world and early historical empires.

Pentateuch – Includes 5 books about creation, the Flood, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It also follows the Israelites during their time in Egypt (captivity and exodus), through 40 years in the wilderness, and finally entering the Promised Land.

Historical Books – Includes 12 historical books which include the conquest of the Promised Land and continues with the disobedience of the Israelites through the Babylonian invasion.

Poetry and Wisdom – Includes 5 books that show how the people of God communicated with Him and with each other.

Major Prophets – Includes 5 books on prophets and their prophecies. These prophets warn of judgment for being disobedient and the hope of Jesus Christ.

Minor Prophets – Includes 12 books on prophets and their prophecies. These prophets warn of the same prophecies as the Major Prophets – judgment and future hope in their Messiah.

New Testament

The New Testament examines the age of Jesus.

Gospels and Acts – Includes the first 5 books of the NT which records the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, including His death, burial, and resurrection. Whereas the Book of Acts includes the Holy Spirit’s outpouring on the early believers and the spread of the Gospel to both the Jews and Gentiles

Paul’s Epistles – Includes the 13 letters written to the early Church which follow Christ as He corrects and guides it on how to address specific problems it encountered.

General Epistles through Revelation – Includes 8 general epistles which follow along with the purpose of Paul’s letters. In contrast, Revelation concentrates on the seven churches in Asia Minor, imparting prophecy regarding future persecutions people will face and describing the new heaven and the new earth.

Some Bibles include additional books in a section between the Old and New Testament called the Biblical Apocrypha. Uniquely, the preface to the Apocrypha in the Geneva Bible explains that these books were written by godly men for their historical knowledge and godly instruction only. The Geneva Bible was a significant English Bible translation used in the 16th century; it preceded the King James Version by 51 years.

Who Reads the Bible?

While the Bible is considered the “go-to” book for Christ-followers, it is also read by a multitude of Americans, both religious and otherwise. In Who Reads the Bible—and Why? David Briggs states that the top two reasons people surveyed said they read Scripture were for “personal prayer and devotion, and to learn more about their religion.” The third most popular reason was “to seek guidance in personal decisions and relationships with spouses, parents, children, and friends.”

Additionally, Briggs notes that “people no longer just open the pages of the Good Book. Thirty-one percent read it on the Internet and [twenty-two] percent used e-devices.” ³

Why Read the Bible?

When we read the Bible, we become aware of many other people—just like us—who have encountered the same circumstances that we experience. Through their example, we can gain insight into how to handle the good, bad, and the ugly in life. Moreover, the Bible is the only book that addresses every problem men and women will ever face.

Being devoted to Bible reading and listening to sermons is commendable, but you must be quickened by the Spirit for true godly understanding. Not only is the Bible the Word of God, but it is also the believer’s inspiration and God’s last word on authority. Reading the Bible increases and matures a person’s faith. Faith is defined as “our belief and actions regarding God’s truths.”

Jesus said, ‘It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (John 6:63).

As mentioned above, many believers and unbelievers read the Bible. Believers are sanctified through their reading—meaning that through their reading, they learn how to live according to the purpose and design of God.

When unbelievers read the Word of God, God’s grace may touch their spirits and lead them to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through the confession of their sin and a commitment to follow Jesus. This is known as a salvation or “born-again” experience.

When salvation occurs, the Bible takes on an entirely different meaning to the reader; it is only then can a person comprehend the things of God and His Word, experience God’s presence and trust in the power of the living Word.

Outcomes When Reading the Bible

The late pastor Adrian Rogers chronicles four outcomes Christ-followers can depend on when one asks the Lord to help them understand His Word.

  1. Eyes will be opened. (Psalm 119:18)
  2. Understanding will be increased. (Luke 24:45)
  3. Hearts will be stirred. (Psalm 119:36)
  4. Minds will be enlightened (Psalm 119:73) ⁴

Is the Bible Inspired?

To answer this question, some say it isn’t right to answer by using Scripture itself, but I disagree. Not only has the Bible said the words by God are inspired, but historically it has been deemed accurate by many early and late scholars. [See the verses below for verification.]

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Understanding God

The Bible consists of God’s words to us. It is how our heavenly Father communicates with us.

Through Scripture, we learn about God’s character, His goodness and His promises. In the same way that food nourishes our body, the Word of God strengthens our spirit to help us live an honorable lifestyle. We learn how to imitate Jesus Christ by understanding His intention for us to live a worthy life by serving and loving Him.

Furthermore, God provides stories about the heroes of faith: prophets, apostles, Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit. These Biblical stories are understood by illustrations in multiple parables and real-life events.

In 2 Timothy 2:15, God calls us to read and study the Bible. Coupled with time, it takes planning. This discipline takes time. We must be committed to reading and studying the Word of God.

Applying Our Mind

When we apply our mind to understand the Bible, God will reveal His promises to us. When that occurs, we become enlightened to His ways, enabling us to obey Him, gain His strength, establish our faith, gain courage, increase wisdom, and direct us away from temptation and sin.

While the Bible can be read through casually, it is also for us to study deeply—maybe verse by verse, chapter by chapter, or topic by topic. As a matter of fact, when we dig in and truly study God’s word, lightning bolts of insight spark our mind and show us a deeper understanding of His ways that we may not gain from a quick read-through. By the same token, when we meditate on the Word of God, God’s presence, guidance, and love will speak to us about how to become the person God wants us to be.

The Bible is the holiest of all books. In light of that, it should be cherished and regarded with the highest honor and esteem. Through it, God will give us wisdom and instruct us in righteousness.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is thinking deeply on the Word in our mind, soul and spirit. It takes time to meditate. But when we do, we will start desiring to apply God’s truths to our lives. Through our prayers of worship, praise, confession, requests and pondering on God’s righteousness, we are sanctifying our thinking and becoming more under submission to our Lord Jesus Christ. Henceforth, our minds are being guided to want what Jesus wants for us.

Personal Illustration

Reading the Bible is a virtuous goal and this practice is wholeheartedly encouraged by many churches, pastors and religious organizations.

In fact, I found when I first started reading the Bible seriously, it was because of what I would call an insurmountable need—the need to move closer to my parents in Houston or stay in seminary in Ft. Worth to pursue my calling into the ministry. In fact, my desperate yearning for an answer to this problem stimulated an unfathomable longing for more of God’s Word.

I can honestly say reading the Bible is one, if not the most, thrilling experiences of my life. Consequently, I wake up each morning looking forward to hearing from my God; I think of Him throughout the day; I approach my evenings looking over the day’s occurrences and how He moved or how I need to move closer to Him.

Practice Humility

If you are so inclined to read the Bible from cover to cover (Genesis to Revelation), I applaud and encourage you to do so. God’s word will convict and change lives—yes, even yours!

However, I must lovingly caution you. The Pharisees prayed and read God’s word only to be seen by men:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)

Take care, my friend, that you do not read the Scriptures only to declare that you have read the Bible through—hoping to impress others with your “religiosity”. Be careful not to become big-headed, smug or boastful in declaring a numerical digit as to how many times you have read the Bible through, how often you read the Bible or how many hours you spend in the Word of God. God knows, but everyone else doesn’t need to know. But I bet they will see it in your attitudes, kindness, and countenance!

In the final analysis, practicing humility in this area is a good discipline to follow.

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)

When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Critics

The Bible has been criticized, degraded, and disgraced by many people. Satan has made sure of this. Moreover, most people who criticize the Bible are justifying their OWN choices and actions. While many “celebrities” have been condemned for their belief in God and the Bible, we are seeing many more being openly critical about the Bible and things of God. Unfortunately, many believe it is a psychological crutch to get us through a difficult time.

For example, Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota, once said, “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Agreeing with him is Larry Flynt, producer of magazines, such as Hustler and sexually graphic videos, who commented, “There’s nothing good I can say about it [religion]. People use it as a crutch.” Ted Turner once simply said, “Christianity is a religion for losers!” Ventura, Flynt, Turner, and others who think like them view Christians as being emotionally feeble and in need of imaginary support to get through life. Their insinuation is that they themselves are strong and in no need of a supposed God to help them with their lives. ⁵

Unfortunately, this is a heartbreaking indictment against their denial of Jesus Christ—the one and only true God.

The Bible—Loved by Millions

Baptist theologian and apologist Bernard Ramm stated, “the Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions, and studied by millions.” ⁶ In conclusion, my deep desire is that you will make a commitment today to read and/or study the Bible. It’ll change your life—I promise!

Bible Verses

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9)

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (James 1:14)

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Oh, how I love Thy Word. Teach me to respect and obey all the words in Your love letter to me. May the Bible guide me and protect me all the days of my life. May I honor You through my love, obedience, and desire to know You more and more every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

God Bless,

Works Cited

¹ “Top Ten Best Selling Books of All-Time.” www.rankings.com/books-sales-worldwide.

² “What Happens after Death.” GotQuestions.org. https://www.gotquestions.org/what-happens-death.html. I used “Old Testament vs. New Testament – What are the differences?” https://www.gotquestions.org/difference-old-new-testaments.html

³ Briggs, David. “Who Reads the Bible—and Why.” Ahead of the Trend. 7 March 2014. Accessed 18 March 2019. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-briggs/who-reads-the-bible—and_b_4919444.html.

Rogers, Adrian. “How to Make the Bible Come Alive.” Love Worth Finding. OnePlace. Accessed 18-18-2019. https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/love-worth-finding/read/articles/how-to-make-your-bible-come-alive-15522.html

⁵ “Is Faith in God a Crutch?” Accessed 8 March 2019. GotQuestions.org.

⁶ Ramm, Bernard. “Bernard Ramm.” Wikipedia. Accessed 17 March 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Ramm.

Bible verses are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted

Edited by E. Johnson

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

.@PattiGreene13

Test Your Knowledge [Major and Minor Prophets Trivia Quiz]

When I sat down to write a blog today, I already had a few intriguing topics running through my mind. These topics will make awfully good blogs someday, but not today!

There was a fight going on between MY INNER-SELF that said, “Write a blog!” and my ENJOY YOURSELF persona that shouted, “Make up a test!”

I love testing people’s knowledge.  Making up tests was my favorite activity when I taught school. It never mattered whether I prepared True/False, Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choice, or Essay Questions. I LOVED and still LOVE writing exams that assess one’s knowledge.

So, my ENJOY YOURSELF me won out and I have written a multiple-choice quiz relating to the major and minor prophets of the Bible and the Old Testament books where they make their appearance.

Best of luck as you give your best shot on this “Test Your Knowledge” multiple-choice quiz. Give yourself 5 points for each question you get right. Answers and explanations follow the quiz. Just scroll all the way down.

And as I would tell my students, “Grab a piece of paper. Put your name on your paper. Number from 1-20. No cheating. And, start your quiz!”

Questions

1. Bible prophets were?

a. Descendants from the temple servants who returned from exile with Nehemiah;

b. God’s messengers in the Old Testament;

c Mercenaries for the Philistines during King David’s reign;

d. Managers of Herod’s household.

2. Who is Elijah?

a. Phoenician princess;

b. Moses’ spokesperson;

c. A man whose miracles called many in Israel back to faith in God;

d. One of the leaders of the tribe of Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag.

3. The terms Major Prophets and Minor Prophets are simply ways to divide

a. The Old Testament prophetic books;

b. The good prophets from the bad prophets;

c. The descendants of King David from those who were not descendants of his;

d. Those who were good archers from those who weren’t.

4. How many major prophets are there?

a. Two;

b. Five;

c. Eight;

d. Twelve.

5. How many minor prophets are there?

a. Four;

b. Ten;

c. Eleven;

d. Twelve.

6. Which person is considered a minor prophet?

a. Jeremiah;

b. Isaiah;

c. Jonah;

d. Ezekiel.

7. Jeremiah was plagued by feelings of

a. Inadequacy;

b. Depression;

c. Despair;

d. All the above.

8. The Book of Ezekiel starts with

a. King Jehoiakim describing his intelligence and wisdom;

b. How God called him to preach at Israel’s royal sanctuary at Bethel;

c. The LORD telling him to arise and go to Nineveh;

d. A clear description and his call and commission.

9. What book of the Bible says, “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places”?

a. Zephaniah;

b. Daniel;

c. Habakkuk;

d. Joel.

10. When Ezekiel spoke of the Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, the bones were referring to

a. The angel Gabriel;

b. The temple;

c. The whole house of Israel;

d. The death of Babylon.

11. What book of the Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”?

a. Hosea;

b. Zechariah;

c. Malachi;

d. Isaiah.

12. The Book of Daniel is quoted or alluded to in what other book of the Bible?

a. Psalms;

b. 2 Kings;

c. Revelation;

d. Ephesians.

13. The angel of the LORD was speaking to whom when he said, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

a. Zechariah;

b. Haggai;

c. Daniel;

d. Obadiah.

14. What book of the Bible says, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

a. Lamentations;

b. Amos;

c. Micah;

d. Jeremiah.

15. The shortest book of the Old Testament is

a. Micah;

b. Malachi;

c. Lamentations;

d. Obadiah.

16. Jeremiah was told to do what?

a. Take a scroll and write on it all the words which God had spoken to him concerning Israel and Judah;

b. Get a brick and place it before him and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem;

c. Go to Nineveh and proclaim the proclamation God was going to tell him.

d. Love an adulteress.

17. The Book of Malachi is known for the verse?

a. “The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

b. “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil.”

c. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

d. “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings.”

18. Who wrote the Book of Lamentations?

a. King Belshazzar;

b. Jeremiah;

c. King Solomon;

d. Isaiah.

19. What is the last book of the Old Testament?

a. Zechariah;

b. Malachi;

c. Zephaniah;

d. Nahum.

20. Jonah said,

a. “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

b. “Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment.”

c. “If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind.”

d. “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

God Bless.

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Prayer

Jesus, thank You so much for Your word. It guides me. It searches my heart. It points me to You. It shows me my sins. Without Your word, where would I be? I love You so much and I also love Your word and how it speaks to me. In Your precious and holy Name. Amen.

Edited by E. Johnson

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

To see more “Test Your Knowledge” Quizzes, click on . . .

Test Your Knowledge [Thanksgiving]

Test Your Knowledge [Women in the Bible]

Test Your Knowledge [Old Testament Trivia]

Your Knowledge [Men in the Bible]

Test Your Knowledge [Easter Quiz]

 

 

 

 

 

===================

Answers

 

 

 

 

  1. b
  2. c
  3. a; Some commentaries say the major and minor prophetic books are divided by their size.
  4. b; The major prophetic books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
  5. d; The minor prophetic books are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
  6. c
  7. d; Jeremiah showed strength in his devotion to the Lord, but he also was a man with deep inner struggles.
  8. d; Ezekiel 2-3 gives a clear description of Ezekiel’s call and commission.
  9. c; Habakkuk 3:9
  10. c
  11. a; Hosea 4:6
  12. c; Material from every chapter in Daniel is either quoted or alluded to in Revelation, and only two chapters are without some background in Daniel. [Hebrew-Greek Study Bible.]
  13. a; Zechariah 4:6
  14. d; Jeremiah 29:11; You might like to read Jeremiah 29:12-13 as well.
  15. d; Obadiah was written for the encouragement of the Israelites. It is only one chapter with 21 verses.
  16. a – correct answerJeremiah 36:2; b-Ezekiel 4:1; c-Jonah 1-3; d-Hosea 3:1.
  17. d;
  18. b; Lamentations is the work of one who had a broken heart. [Hebrew-Greek Study Bible]
  19. b
  20. a – correct answerJonah 4:3; b-Amos 3:3; c-Jeremiah 40:4; c-Isaiah 40:31.

 

Abortion Outrage

Yes, I’m outraged by the barbaric cruelty with which some human beings want to treat innocent little babies. I usually don’t express my outrage and disgust. I usually try to avoid conflict and confrontation by just keeping quiet while possibly seething inside.

My lack of expression does not mean I have no opinions. In fact, I am a very opinionated person and this week I’m going to express my opinion about what has upset people all around the country about the abortion issue.

Let me begin by expressing my sincere sympathy to all the women and men that have been affected by abortion, either personally or within your circle of influence.

Abortion

Abortion touches lives. No matter what, abortion touches a person’s soul. Abortion may harden some hearts. Or it might bring great mental anguish to others. It may even cause death or suicide.

On Tuesday of this week, first-term Virginia lawmaker Delegate Kathy Tran proposed a bill which would allow abortions up until the moment of birth. A video of her comments spanned the Internet provoking both accolades for women’s rights and a frenzy for supporting human rights. Tran admitted that her proposed bill would allow for abortions up until the birth of the baby. The House of Delegates then erupted with Speaker Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, giving a rare speech vowing to defend “precious human life” if the Republicans were in power. ¹

This news item dominated late-night talk shows on Fox News. Many topics hit the airways such as . . .

– The right to life should not be up to the physician;

– Should Catholic politicians who support abortion be excommunicated from the church?

– Do babies have an inalienable right to life?

– These are the socialist policies of the left!

– Dogs’ rights are more important than human rights; and

– Dan Bongino, the host of The Dan Bongino Show, called this new push for 40th-week abortions “savage brutality.”

My Opinion

I’m not unaware of what is occurring, just appalled.

When I was in college in the 70s, I worked as an intern at Planned Parenthood for my social work class. While I wasn’t involved in any abortions, the thinking then was that pregnancy in the early stages was not equal to a real baby: thus an abortion was not killing a baby. An abortion was thought of as just removing a blob of tissue. This was before the days of ultrasounds where one could see a baby grow from an embryo to a fetus to a “human being.” Many unaware patients who had abortions then became devastated when new technological advances became available and they realized what they had done.

But today is different. We have technologies and are more educated on pregnancy and human development.

Nowadays, people think killing babies is okay even up until the time of birth or thereafter. This thinking is widespread, and not just in Virginia: many states are trying to pass bills for full-term abortion availability because they are fearful that Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision which legalized abortion nationwide, might be overturned by the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

Recently, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation allowing women to abort their babies at any time up until birth.

God is Not Pleased!

God made human life. He values human life. He loves human life. He also forgives those who may have devalued life at some point in their lives.

While the Bible does not specifically use the term abortion, the Bible is filled with verses about how God feels about the human form and human attributes before birth, during birth, and during our lifetime.

Four Biblical Verses Regarding How God Views His Children

  • Children are known by God even before they are formed in the womb. He even knows our future.

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,
And before you were born, I consecrated you;
I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5

  • Children are made by God.

Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:3

  • Children are born in the image of God.

Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed,
For in the image of God
He made man.

Genesis 9:6

  • Children are the work of God’s hand.

But now, O Lord, You are our Father,
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all of us are the work of Your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Videos

Virginia Lawmaker Kathy Tran

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam on Abortion

[Note: The following day Northam’s office issued a clarification stating that his offices’ comments were “limited to the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman facing nonviable pregnancy or severe fetal abnormalities went into labor . . . “] ²

Conclusion

Many of us have become very silent on moral issues including abortion. Let’s not keep our heads in the sand. Let’s shed our passive nature, our insecurities, our shyness, and our fear. We must be heard. With love, let our heart guide us to become outspoken on behalf of all the babies who can’t speak for themselves.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Prayer

O Jesus, save the hearts of the people who are not valuing life. I pray the Holy Spirit touches their hearts unto salvation. Without You, it is impossible for them to see abortion or any moral issue without knowing You. I lift up Your will on what is going on around our nation and the world. Give us peace. Give us power. Give us the prayers to pray for the unborn children and politicians who make our nation’s laws. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Works Cited

¹ Moomaw, Graham. Trump reacts after Va. Republicans share video of lawmaker backing late-term abortions; Democrats call it an orchestrated ambush. Richmond Times-Dispatch. 30 Jan 2019. www.richmond.com/news.

² Mandel, Bethany. Ralph Northam just gave a huge boost to Trump’s reelection campaign. The Washington Post. 31 Jan 2019. www.washingtonpost.com.

Twitter Link: Above

YouTube Link: Above.

Edited by E. Johnson

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

The Book of Ezekiel: An Obedient Prophet, Reprobate Sinners and Disobedient Overseers

Who’s Who?

An obedient prophet—Ezekiel

Reprobate sinners—sinful people of Judah;

Disobedient overseers—shepherds/leaders of Israel who were not properly leading their sheep;

====================

Three Sisters

The story has been told of three sisters who lived together.

Three sisters, ages 92, 94, and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts one foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs, “Was I getting in or out of the bath?” The 94-year-old yells back, “I don’t know. I’ll come up and see.” She starts up the stairs and pauses. Then she yells out, “Was I going up the stairs or down?” The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea and listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, “I sure hope I never get that forgetful.” She knocks on wood for good measure. She then replies, “I’ll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who’s at the door.” ¹

While these three sisters can’t remember very well, they still want to help each other. They want to live in peace and harmony with each other. They want to serve each other.

In the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel, we see three people groups mingling and occupying the banks of the Chebar River during the Babylonian captivity: an obedient prophet, reprobate sinners and disobedient leaders. Unfortunately, they were NOT attempting to live harmoniously at all, like the sisters were above.

Historical Fact: The Babylonian Empire exerted influence over Judah. In 586 BC, they destroyed Jerusalem.

Ezekiel tries to lead the people in a godly manner. The sinners are living in the depths of depravity. Likewise, the disobedient leaders are living merely for themselves and for their pleasures.

Ezekiel: An Obedient Prophet

Wouldn’t it be nice to be so attuned to God that we would hear the word of the LORD come to us daily? Many leaders in the Bible were obedient to the voice of God; others not so. Some obeyed for a while and then retreated into sin.

The prophet Ezekiel was an obedient leader! Over and over in the Book of Ezekiel, we read, “And the word of the LORD came to me” or “The word of the LORD came again to me saying.” And he obeyed every time God told him to do something, no matter how bizarre it seemed.

In Ezekiel 33:7, Ezekiel is appointed to be a watchman for the house of Israel to give the people a warning. Ezekiel, as a spiritual leader, proceeds to warn the people of their sin and the upcoming prophecy of Jerusalem’s capture.

He lays out what happens when a group of people are not being led in the way of righteousness, like what was happening in Judah at the time: Babylonian leaders were threatening to overtake the people of Judah.

Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem during the second deportation of the Jews in 597 B.C.—one year before Jerusalem was conquered by the Chaldeans. This important time period occurred when many Jews were taken captive and similarly exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar II.

While the nation of Judah had sunk deep into sin, Ezekiel was called and commissioned by God to prophesize to an ungodly people about their many sins—idolatry, apostasy, and wickedness. Ezekiel’s boldness and dedication to the LORD gave him the power to predict the siege of Jerusalem, denounce idolatrous worship, lament over cities, and predict judgment. He was the instrument God chose to declare His verdict and reaffirm an individual’s responsibility to obey the Lord. Towards the end of the book, he joyfully shares about Israel’s eventual restoration and the glory which will fill God’s temple.

Historical Trivia: Sometimes the term “Chaldeans” is used to refer to Babylonians in general, but normally it refers to a specific semi-nomadic tribe that lived in the southern part of Babylon. ²

Historical Trivia: The House of Israel and The House of Judah are NOT the same people. Both are parts of the nation of Israel but reflect the division of the country into two different Kingdoms. Bible prophecies tell us that [the] Messiah will rule over a restored Kingdom during His millennial reign, as King David ruled over both Houses during his own tenure. ³

I’ve always thought of Ezekiel as my kind of prophet—he’s flamboyant and colorful. He wails, slaps his thighs, and has visions of dry bones. But his obedience to God’s call and willingness to do whatever God asks of him is what impresses me the most.

Sinners: Reprobates from the House of Judah, Including the Capital City of Jerusalem; 

Ezekiel 16 catalogues the sins of the people of Jerusalem. Many of the people were trusting in their personal beauty, and out of this hubris became prostitutes. They had sex with everyone who walked by. They took the gold and silver that the LORD had given them and out of it made idols for themselves. They covered their idols with embroidered clothes and offered God’s olive oil and incense in their presence. They similarly pledged all the fragrances and food that God had given them as well. They sacrificed their sons and daughters to their idols as sustenance. They had sex with the Assyrians, but they still weren’t satisfied, so they had sex with land merchants and the Babylonians (Ezekiel 16:15-34).

Leaders: Disobedient Overseers

Ezekiel warned the leaders as to what will happen if the people continued in sin due to a lack of leadership. Those in charge have a responsibility to lead their flock ethically no matter where they find themselves—in the workplace or in ministry. The overseers of the people were all about themselves: they became a stumbling block of iniquity to the House of Israel. They followed their idols far from God, thereby rendering them unable to lead the people. God’s desire was for them to be ashamed of their transgressions, but they weren’t (Ezekiel 43:10).

The leaders at that time were going to be punished for their sins. Leaders have a great responsibility to their people, as do ministers have towards their “sheep”—those that they have been given responsibility to lead within their churches or ministries. In each case, there will come a time when God says, “enough of all your abominations, because judgment will come!” (See Ezekiel 44).

What Happens To The People When Leaders “Run Amok?” 

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, the [spiritual] shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat [the choicest of meat], and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the best of the livestock, but you do not feed the flock. You have not strengthened those who are weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bandaged the crippled, you have not brought back those gone astray, you have not looked for the lost; but you have ruled them with force and violence. They were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the predators of the field. My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the face of the earth and no one searched or sought them.”’”

Therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “certainly because My flock has become prey, My flock has even become food for every predator of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My flock from them and make them stop tending the flock, so that the shepherds cannot feed themselves anymore. I will rescue My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them”’” (Ezekiel 34:1-10 AMP).

Application to Leaders Today

The Drudge Report posted an article on January 15th, 2019 titled, “Staff at a Chinese company are forced to CRAWL on the street after ‘failing to hit their annual targets’” The article mentioned that a group of  female beauty company employees were made to crawl on their hands and knees through busy afternoon traffic in Zengzhou, China for failing to meet their company sales target. ⁴ I would classify their boss/leader as an uncouth, mean person. His flock wasn’t being led, or, to use a Christian term “fed” in an appropriate way.

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel saying, “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.’” (Ezekiel 33:2-4).

We can extend Ezekiel’s analogy to all venues where leadership is established. Leaders such as CEOs, political leaders, teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists are put in the position of either following the Lord’s guidance in this area, or suffering the consequences.

Conclusion

Whatever God does with wicked individuals, leaders or nations, He is always generous in extending grace. His final goal is always the same, both then and now: God declares twenty times in the Book of Ezekiel that “they will know that I am the Lord.”

When the leaders didn’t do “their job”, God eventually stepped in Himself to restore Israel.  God said, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out . . . I will feed My flock and lead them to rest . . . I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

No matter what kind of leader you are, obey God as Ezekiel did.

If you are in a leadership position, most likely you will not be carrying out a public humiliation upon your employees or congregants or forcing them to slap themselves in the face 100 times (which occurred recently in China), but you must remember you are accountable to God for how you treat people.

In the three sisters story above, the sisters were not fully able to remember each other’s call for help, but their love for each other was evident. That’s how God’s love for us is: let’s commit to obey Him and serve His people in whatever situation we find ourselves.

If you are not a believer, consider the love that Christ has for you and how you can be part of the Kingdom of God by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.

Bible Verses:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)

Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (1 Peter 5:2)

So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

For the LORD will judge His people and will have compassion on His servants. (Psalm 135:14)

Prayer:

My heavenly Father, with all my heart, I desire to do Your will. Give me the courage of Ezekiel, the strength to remain strong in You, and to lead in a way that is honorable to You. Steer me away from all things which can send me astray. Prune me so I can serve You more and more each day.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

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Bible Links are from the NASB unless otherwise noted.

To read more about leadership, check out the following article.

https://greenepastures.org/leadership-part-1-nehemiah/  (From this blog, you can link to Leadership Part 2-Nehemiah)

Works Cited

¹ “Unjokes #1002.” Jan 17, 2019. Web. Unjokes.com.

² “Who were the Chaldeans in the Bible?” GotQuestions.org. Jan 17, 2019. Web: https://www.gotquestions.org/Chaldeans.html

³ “Are the House of Israel and The House of Judah the same people?” Blog Post WordPress. Bible Insights from Jerry. 17 Jan 2019. Web. https://bibleinsightsfromjerry.wordpress.com.

⁴ You, Tracy. “Staff at Chinese company are forced to CRAWL on the street after ‘failing to hit their annual targets.”Drudge Report: Daily Mail. 15 Jan 2019. Web. www.DrudgeReport.com.

Bibliography

“Ezekiel.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. Jan 16, 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel.

Photo Credit: Lightstock.com

See Works Cited.

Edited by E. Johnson

Valentine's Day

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

Depression by Glory C. Odemene / Dedicated to Robin McLaurin Williams

Have you ever met someone and you instantly knew you liked that person. You just clicked! That happened to me not long ago – I met Glory and we instantly bonded. We have a lot in common, but we also knew we had a lot of differences. But, what’s this got to do with depression? Let’s see!
As I was putting the final touches on my recently released devotional book, God, It’s Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate About Prayer and Bible Study, I prepared myself to ask Glory if I could use some of her poetry excerpts in my own book. I made up a folder showing her exactly how her poetry would be used in the book along with her excerpts that I matched to my already chosen pictures. You know, after 18 years of being a librarian, I felt like I knew how possessive writers/authors/poets could be about their work, so I was understandably nervous when I asked her that one Sunday morning at church at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria. While I was anticipating a possible “No” or a “Let me think about it,” I remember Glory’s big, brown eyes opening as wide as a raccoon. She was amazed that I was even asking her at all. She immediately said, “YES!” I was thrilled.
You see, Glory is the type of person who writes for the Lord. She gives him the credit and all the “glory.” She even encourages people to share her God-inspired poems.
It is in this spirit, I am sharing Glory’s most recent poem titled Depression. It is written for all who have or will ever encounter depression in their lives. As you read this poem you will see that the catalyst for this poem was the recent passing away of the well-loved comedian Robin Williams.
—————————————————-
Depression
by Glory C. Odemene
Dedicated to Robin McLaurin Williams
Out there, it’s labeled bane of geniuses, cross of the consummate
Price for being bequeathed with exceptional talents: folks jump
As judges on the reckless wagon driven by this accomplished
Fellow who should know enough to be a role model but that also
Is an affliction; perpetual pressure to always smile, act nice and right
But hello this is reality not Broadway! Yet he contends crushing guilt
In lonesome cell whose innards scream, “Turkey!” at a dignitary.
Drained of joys for stellar feats, the global champion is whipped
A wimp in his own universe and unknown to the all-knowing world
The remote control is beyond his reach: he can’t predict how
His channels switch; no idea when dark days descend or duration
Of his sentence in that gloomy jail where struggle and strive all he
May, it seems he never can wear out that awful, unwanted skin.
Triggers range from tragedies to nothing, the sun suddenly goes south
In the middle of his day and like rag, the jewel is tossed into a hole.
He may appear surrounded and smiling but within he’s achingly alone
Flailing like a drowning man whose gasps show up as deviations on
The chart of trendy expectations. He grapples whatever his hands
Can find, seeking a reason, a means, to hope or not. A kind word
Could be the lifeline that keeps his head above, respiring when he
Would have been expiring, if aid’s arrival proves timely.
A bland-cold stare, mere rebuff that ignores his silent cries
Of desperation are sharp enough to cut that rope of hope.
It is not about privileges, positions, and possessions
It is a dreadful suit he wears all his life. Though glamor shields it
He yet feels it in those places where no other can see or tell.
Desperate for escape, he courts drugs, marries alcohol
Even changing locations appeal but fleeting thrills wane too soon
And he wakes to the revulsion of complicated addictions.
Experts and the ignorant diagnose and prescribe, tagging it
With tongue twisting labels that promise him no ease so alone
He either silently battles the monsters until end pays him a visit
Or he goes the way of bizarre and the world is shocked, more
By its perennial indifference than the fruits of his queerness.
The least to do today is exit the judges’ hub, extend kindness
To all you meet: you don’t know the monsters they are battling:
Just one word, one move, can make that difference between life
And death: everyone you meet is in warfare, your vote counts.
© Glory C. Odemene, 2014
(Dedicated to Robin McLaurin Williams)
Glory’s Comments:
I remember growing up. I used to have dark days. It carried labels like, “Melancholy,” “Depression,” among others. It is considered the blight of the talented and a norm. You didn’t have much choice but to live with it. And I did for many years until the LORD broke through and delivered me. Sometimes, it just happens and down you sink. At others, it may be just a look you are not comfortable with, an unkind comment, or even being ignored, that triggers it. You have no control over when it descends and how long it lasts. Until you wake up one day and the sun is up, and following that lead, you crawl out to discover that all around is cheery once again.
Recently, I went through tragedies and instead of the typical accusers that make you feel wretched despite your achievements or tend to strangle you with guilt for errors, I was invaded and besieged by fears. They showed up in everything, every time, and everywhere I turned. I looked like I do every day, smiled as usual but deep down were cries no ears could hear. My world was crumbling but to everyone else, I was the same. God helped me walk through without hitting that dreaded bottom. It has been 14 years now and counting and I have never set my foot in that pit of a prison.
We are often so consumed by our personal pursuits that we become inured to the travails of those around us. Just like love and encouragement have helped many conquer their battles, our indifference and insensitivity can complicate matters for the weak. If only we can learn to stop and think again before we shoot. Imagine how much difference that will make in a world where the broken are trampled on every day? From experience, I know of only one cure that delivers without side effects, no relapse, and not at bank-breaking cost: Jesus: And whoever the Son sets free, is free indeed.
Glory!
Please feel free to forward/share this blog with your friends and family. And, we would love you to comment!
To read more of Glory’s poetry excerpts, check out . . . http://amzn.to/1o4cm8x
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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

Sometimes God Just Gives Us a Blessing

I wasn’t expecting a blessing today.
It was a typical morning today in Houston, Texas. I got up, made my coffee, said goodbye to my son as he left for work. My couch is the usual spot for my quiet time. I balance my coffee cup on a coaster on the couch and read the Bible and pray. Today my devotional was on LAZINESS (Proverbs 13:4.) I thought about the fact that if someone writes a book, they are not lazy! It takes time, dedication, editing, more editing, and persevering. I said my prayers, wrote some notes to some friends, and got ready for my day. I picked up lunch at Taco Bell, went to Kroger, bought some Christmas presents at Palais Royal, journeyed to my friend’s house for a visit, and then returned home.I stopped at our mailbox on the way home only to be a little disappointed that there was no key in the box indicating I had a package. But, I did have a United States Postal Service Priority envelope. Honestly, I went through all my junk mail and then tackled the envelope. I saw immediately that it was from Lizzie. Lizzie (a.k.a. Elle Bee) is a young woman who attended the Sunday School Class my husband taught before we went on our little adventure to Nigeria.
The package was opened and I was so thrilled. I saw a book that Elle Bee had written and published. I was so happy for her, and was totally touched when I opened the book and read her sweet note to us. It said, “Patti and John, Thank you so much for everything you did for me. This book would never have been written without you. LB.” By this point I was more thrilled about her stick-to-itiveness to finish and publish this book. Then, I turned the page, and I had to sit down – I couldn’t even stand. This precious new author dedicated the book to our family. Never before have I been so honored as in that moment TODAY. The dedication read, “To the Greene family. For your support. For your love. And for your kindness.” By this point, I knew a “thank you email” was not going to be sufficient.
 I immediately called Elle Bee. I congratulated her and thanked her for her kind gesture even though it did not seem like it was enough. I told her how proud I am of her for all her hard work.

You see Elle Bee isn’t someone who has dreamed about writing a book all her life and is finally doing it – like me! She is a young, single lady in her 20’s who is dedicating her gifts and talents to the Lord now. She is truly following 2 Timothy 4:12 which says, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

Love you “Elle Bee.” Because of you, I received a blessing that I absolutely was not expecting today. Thank you.

Raised practically by himself, ten year old Charlie would like nothing more than to be left alone. Unfortunately, he is a magnet for attention, particularly of the negative degree. Bullying. Blame. Teacher disapproval. For the majority of his life, Charlie has been able to take the attention in a “grin and bear” it sort of way. But what will Charlie learn as he is whisked off to Thailand?

To find out more, check out The Evidence (Mission with Miss Bee BOOK #1) by Elle Bee; ISBN 978-1-312-15522-0.

To read more or to order an autographed book, go to Joseph’s Grain at http://josephsgrain.org.

Pictures shared by permission!

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com