✝ Daily Encouragement (8/9/23) "Disguise and Deception"

Published: Wed, 08/09/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Late yesterday afternoon I joined my friend Nick and a group from his church for a bike ride along the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail and Falcon came along. The mighty Susquehanna River is in the background.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

"Disguise and Deception"

Message summary: Today we encourage you to turn fully to Christ and be ever vigilant against our ancient foe. Heed the simple words from James 1:16, "Don’t be deceived".

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“Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers” (James 1:16).

Brooksyne left for a meeting after having cleaned the kitchen. When I came in the room I noticed the coffeemaker was still on and figured she had made herself some fresh coffee prior to leaving so I poured myself a cup. I took one drink and started coughing, spitting it out as I repulsed at the horribly sour acidy taste. Turns out it was vinegar with a very slight coffee flavor !

I told her about the horrible vinegar/coffee drink in the coffee pot when she came home. After I finally convinced her I was not teasing she had a good laugh. She had run some vinegar through the coffeemaker in the process of cleaning it, but mistakenly left old coffee grounds in the basket so the vinegar "looked" like coffee as it poured through.

She wasn’t trying to disguise her cleaning process or deceive me, although she normally empties the basket prior to running the vinegar solution into it. I should have been more observant at the light brownish color of the "coffee", since we tend to like our coffee a bit on the stronger side!

This reminds me of another form of disguise and deception, but this one is quite intentional. It is a disguise that we, as Christ’s followers, need to be on our constant guard against.

Today’s first Scripture forthrightly states, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" . Essentially in this disguise Satan seeks to steal the identity of an angel of light, a good angel, in order to deceive. The word translated “disguises” is very interesting. Other translations use the words “transform” or “masquerade” to translate the Greek word “metaschēmatizō”, which means "to change in fashion or appearance".

From the very beginning Satan has used disguises in various forms as a means of deception, as in the garden he disguised himself as a serpent. Jesus, in His most lengthy teaching on Satan said, "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).

A great line in the hymn “A Mighty Fortress” expresses it this way:

But still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe,
His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal.

Thank God for the remainder of the great old hymn which reminds us of His provision to overcome our enemy through the infinitely greater power that comes in the name of Jesus Christ.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His name,
from age to age the same;
and He must win the battle.

Today we encourage you to turn fully to Christ and be ever vigilant against our ancient foe. Heed the simple words from James 1:16, "Don’t be deceived".

Be encouraged today, ( Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we look to You and depend on Your Word to teach us spiritual discernment so that we can readily identify Satan when he regularly appears in disguise. Thank You for Your indwelling Holy Spirit that bears witness with ours when we test the spirits to see that which is from You and that which is from the devil. When we're uncertain surround us with godly counsel and reveal to us Your truths as we prayerfully look to You for daily guidance. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"A Mighty Fortress" Click to watch on YouTube Tommy Bailey, Keith & Kristyn Getty

On the way to the trail ride last night I drove past these horses at the end of Kraybill Church Road. The masks are to keep flies out of their eyes, but I also see an illustration for "see no evil"!

(Click on photo to enlarge)

The Shocks Mill railroad bridge is always photogenic and I can never resist pulling out my camera to capture this magnificent bridge that has been in use since 1905. What caught my attention this time was the log jam that keeps building up.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

When I got to the trail head there was a large group from a local ministry called LIFECYCLES who dispersed into smaller groups for the ride. This group was clearing a fallen tree on the trail. The mission of LIFECYCLES is to build young men and women of character in a Christ-centered bicycle touring adventure experience for teens with a mentoring program to guide them into adulthood.

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

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