Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 45). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) That is so very true. He quietly sits down. Louie says, "You might not recognize him when he first sits down. The Devil doesn’t arrive with a brightly flashing neon pitchfork. He doesn’t sit down with a growl and threaten to gouge out your eyes. No. At first, it’s simply another person seated next to you, helping himself to your brownie, wondering aloud which water glass is his, inadvertently wiping his mouth with your napkin. "It takes only a second. The unwelcome visitor sits down so swiftly and casually it’s hard to discern his true character. He often appears to be on your side at the start. He promises you relief from your troubles. Second Corinthians 11:14 describes how Satan 'masquerades as an angel of light,' which means that the Devil rarely comes to the table showing h...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 41). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And it can happen so fast. Louie says, " The Enemy only needs the tiniest crack. A sliver of opportunity. The smallest window of doubt or uncertainty. Just like that, the Devil is sitting at your table, beginning to win the battle for your mind." He goes on, "We’ve come to accept the Enemy sitting at our table as normal. That’s a big problem. We give him permission anytime we say things like, 'Oh, that’s just the way it is these days. Anxiety is just part of the equation. We’re all anxious, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Life’s just so chaotic today. Of course we’re all strangled by worry. Look at any news feed. Why wouldn’t I be afraid?' "In the same way, we accept the false narrative about our lives that we aren’t worth much to God . . . or anybody else, f...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 24). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes He does and it's a good thing. Louie says, "Sure, you can lie down on rocky ground if you want to. You can lie down in the heat and the dust. But Jesus says, Lie down in green pastures. Get some rest. Stop trying to manage all the outcomes. Take a break in the midst of the craziness of your day and acknowledge that I’m a Good Shepherd and I have your best interest at heart. By the way, while you’re resting, go ahead and eat some green grass. Allow Me to nourish your soul. That’s how I operate. I love you and take care of you, and any directive that I give you will be for your own benefit." He goes on, "See, when God refers to us as sheep, it’s a reflection of how we are wired, although it’s not necessarily a compliment. Sheep need leadership. God’s not saying that we’re cut...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 17). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   That is what we also need. Louie says, "I look at Paul and Silas; at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and at all the people throughout Scripture who encountered times of intense trouble yet went bigger with their faith, and I marvel. The prophet Habakkuk stated it clearly when he cried out:  Fig tree " ' Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my savior.' (Habakkuk 3:17–18 GNT)" He goes on, "The last two lines indicate huge faith. And did you notice the two phrases repeated three times in Habakkuk’s prayer?  " Even though . . . I will . . . ...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book, Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 5). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Now that is an interesting thought. Louie says, " The Enemy had taken a seat at my table, and I was allowing myself to listen to a killer. Right there in my driveway, I determined to take back my table. The Devil would have to flee." He goes on, "In the days that followed, my mind was riveted on those nine words. As negative thoughts would enter my mind, I’d say to myself, Don’t give the Enemy a seat. Don’t entertain his ideas. These thoughts are not from a good and trustworthy Shepherd. Move on. "Soon after, I was led to study Psalm 23—a text that has comforted and steadied God’s people through the ages as they have navigated troubled waters. Now I was seeing it through fresh eyes. Especially the line that reads, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...

A thought by T. D. Jakes, from his book,  Don't Drop the Mic  (p. 39). FaithWorks, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Fear can be horrible but we must never let it stop us! But I'm afraid! T. D. says, " Fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of what others will think, fear of what your mama will think, fear of making a fool of yourself, fear of being misunderstood, criticized, and taken out of context—as with any area of personal growth, fear is likely to be part of the equation. When it comes to communicating, however, fear is but one variable among many, not the limitation that prevents you from being heard by those around you. "Owning your fear is the first step in facing it, and facing it to overcoming it." He goes on, "I’m often amazed that people rank speaking in public near the top of their list of worst fears. Known by the clinical word glossophobia , fear of public speaking terrifies some people more than ...

A thought by Daniel Fusco, from his book,  Crazy Happy   (p. 58). The Crown Publishing Group, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes He does. Daniel says, " This is a deep-flowing joy, based in a reality beyond any circumstances we find ourselves in. Let that marinate for a second! We can have an inner state that is incredibly, joyfully out of keeping with even the most difficult situations we face. This isn’t denying trouble in our lives; it’s triumphing over it." He continues, "I want to share with you a great definition of joy I learned from an amazing theology teacher called the Sunday school classroom. Many of our kids know this definition, but so often we forget it as adults. "Joy can be broken down into three parts: Jesus, Others, and Yourself." He goes on, "This shows us the order that leads to real joy. And it’s as crazy as all these countercultural ways that God loves to work in us. With that definition in...