Another great message by Fr. Maple! I don't know the backstory, but one of our garments came back from the dry cleaners with "Persevere" printed on the paper. (I think it was in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.) I'll bet Jack and Sherry know a thing or two about Persevering!
Thank you, Mevely. True, when things are bad in our lives we should persevere as much as we can, and continue to trust God. You know, Mevely, when things are bad in life and we pray; it is an affirmation of our faith. Because prayers mean we believe there's Someone there listening. We are not talking to ourselves.
Jack and Sherry have known perseverance. They should teach the rest of us.
Based on scripture, the most effective weapon is arguably deception, or the lie.
Jesus states in John 8:44 that the devil "is a liar and the father of lies." This is his native language, a constant part of his nature. This weapon is so potent because it causes us to doubt God's truth, which then opens the door to every other form of temptation and sin, as seen in the deception of Eve in Genesis 3
For an individual, one valuable practice is to memorize key verses that affirm God's character and love. When a destructive thought comes, you can immediately challenge the lie with a specific, undeniable truth from the Word. This is how Jesus defeated the enemy in the wilderness.
You are right, Melody. The devil uses deception and lies to discourage us and lead us astray. I agree with what you say and that the best practice is to memorize Scripture we should quote and pray when we are troubled by Satan.
Discouragement . . . That seems exactly what the evil one wants to lodge in our hearts. Let's resolve to lean into God, trust Jesus, and never stop praying! Blessings, Victor!
Great post Victor. You must always make God the center of your home!! I know that years ago, we had a grandson at age 8 diagnosed with Leukemia. These were 3 very difficult years for my daughter and her husband (as you can imagine) But...God! HE was the center of their home and their marriage and as difficult as things were financially, physically, and mentally, they managed to get through those years. Thanks for this post.
Thank you so much, Shug, for letting us know about this very difficult period for your family and your young grandson. I am praying for you all right now. As you say, God is the centre of our lives at all times; especially when things are difficult. And we should trust Him that He has our best interests at heart.
What a helpful post! Thank you for sharing this article. Before reading it, I stopped long enough to ask myself that question and decided Satan's most effective tool must be fear. However, now that I've read the article, I see the truth in the answer that it is discouragement. Fear often follows that but it's not persevering that gets us down. I have heard the Lord telling me in some specific situations that I need to persevere in waiting on His response, on His timing. This article is further confirmation of what the Holy Spirit has been impressing upon me. Thanks for sharing this with us, Victor.
The devil plays with our fears. He knows human nature and knows our weaknesses. He uses our fears and doubts to play games with our minds and to discourage us and to lead us astray. Sometimes to the point of making people believe that God does not exist at all. That's his greatest trick; to make people doubt their own beliefs.
The answer is prayers. Whenever we feel doubts and confusion in our mind - to pray to God to come to our aid.
...don't lose heart, isn't always easy!
ReplyDeleteLet's be positive and not lose heart at the first stumble.
DeleteGod bless, Tom.
Another great message by Fr. Maple! I don't know the backstory, but one of our garments came back from the dry cleaners with "Persevere" printed on the paper. (I think it was in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.)
ReplyDeleteI'll bet Jack and Sherry know a thing or two about Persevering!
Thank you, Mevely. True, when things are bad in our lives we should persevere as much as we can, and continue to trust God. You know, Mevely, when things are bad in life and we pray; it is an affirmation of our faith. Because prayers mean we believe there's Someone there listening. We are not talking to ourselves.
DeleteJack and Sherry have known perseverance. They should teach the rest of us.
God bless you my friend.
Based on scripture, the most effective weapon is arguably deception, or the lie.
ReplyDeleteJesus states in John 8:44 that the devil "is a liar and the father of lies." This is his native language, a constant part of his nature. This weapon is so potent because it causes us to doubt God's truth, which then opens the door to every other form of temptation and sin, as seen in the deception of Eve in Genesis 3
For an individual, one valuable practice is to memorize key verses that affirm God's character and love. When a destructive thought comes, you can immediately challenge the lie with a specific, undeniable truth from the Word. This is how Jesus defeated the enemy in the wilderness.
You are right, Melody. The devil uses deception and lies to discourage us and lead us astray. I agree with what you say and that the best practice is to memorize Scripture we should quote and pray when we are troubled by Satan.
DeleteGod bless you and yours.
Discouragement . . . That seems exactly what the evil one wants to lodge in our hearts. Let's resolve to lean into God, trust Jesus, and never stop praying! Blessings, Victor!
ReplyDeleteAmen Martha. At the first sign of trouble and doubts our first thoughts should be to turn to Christ in trust and prayers.
DeleteGod bless you and your family.
Victor, this was one of the best articles you have posted. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandie. I have known Father Francis for a number of years. His website is:
Deletehttps://fatherfrancismaple.co.uk/
God bless you always.
Great post Victor. You must always make God the center of your home!! I know that years ago, we had a grandson at age 8 diagnosed with Leukemia. These were 3 very difficult years for my daughter and her husband (as you can imagine) But...God! HE was the center of their home and their marriage and as difficult as things were financially, physically, and mentally, they managed to get through those years. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Shug, for letting us know about this very difficult period for your family and your young grandson. I am praying for you all right now. As you say, God is the centre of our lives at all times; especially when things are difficult. And we should trust Him that He has our best interests at heart.
DeleteGod bless you and yours always, my friend.
Never give up, believe and pray and your answer will eventually come to you through God. Good things take time.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Bill. We need to persevere and trust God at all times.
DeleteGod bless you and yours.
What a helpful post! Thank you for sharing this article. Before reading it, I stopped long enough to ask myself that question and decided Satan's most effective tool must be fear. However, now that I've read the article, I see the truth in the answer that it is discouragement. Fear often follows that but it's not persevering that gets us down. I have heard the Lord telling me in some specific situations that I need to persevere in waiting on His response, on His timing. This article is further confirmation of what the Holy Spirit has been impressing upon me. Thanks for sharing this with us, Victor.
ReplyDeleteMany thanx Barbara.
DeleteThe devil plays with our fears. He knows human nature and knows our weaknesses. He uses our fears and doubts to play games with our minds and to discourage us and to lead us astray. Sometimes to the point of making people believe that God does not exist at all. That's his greatest trick; to make people doubt their own beliefs.
The answer is prayers. Whenever we feel doubts and confusion in our mind - to pray to God to come to our aid.
God bless you Barbara; and your family.