When Satan attacks, remember your armor and weapon

The following was posted to my blog Of Rain and Orchids:
          I'm better today than I have been in a while. I've been struggling with procrastination and its consequences on my school life. I know exactly what I need to do, I have for some time. The content is not hard, it just requires work. They say knowing is half the battle, acting on it is a major part of the other half to be sure. I've always had a problem with procrastination. I remember my mom getting on to me about keeping up with the homework I had when I was in elementary school.
          I finally realized last night Satan is just trying to bring me down by working on that weakness. Telling me I'm a failure, lazy and hopeless. Reminding me about how if I don't pass, my dad always bring up cost of taking those courses over again. Or when I get just a C my dad basically tells me only the mediocre do so badly. Satan must really not want me to become a teacher if he's getting this desperate.
          Nothing other than becoming a teacher makes sense. All this makes me even more determined now, more evidence that this is what God wants me to do. I just have remind myself that my dad (and God) only want what's best for me, for me to do well and my dad do want to be a good steward of your money (not that I make it easy). That God doesn't want me to fail. He gave me this love of science and the passion for teaching.
          For those of you that were/are: Thanks for praying. Please continue to pray, specifically that I keep perspective and trust in God.

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         If you're ever feeling down, overwhelmed and frozen by it, remember this. We all have weaknesses; know them. Know your strengths; know yourself. It's not easy but it can be done. I've learned more about myself in the past three years than I had in the first twenty of my life. College has really taught me more than just what I've picked up in classes. I've learned about my faith, come back to it and how to grow in it. I've learned how to reach out to help and ask for it. Of course, this is all ongoing.
          All this learning is so you can identify when you're attacked. At church last night, I was telling someone (I can't remember her name!) about how I felt like a failure. She said I was not dumb, I was very bright and reminded me of what I had told her: I know what I need to do. After being treated for depression, I learned to catch the signs I was sinking into it again. Even if I couldn't stop a relapse, I'd know what it was. God promised He wouldn't let us go through anything we couldn't handle. So when Satan attacks, you can say, "No. I won't let you lie to me. You can't being me down!"
          Remember your spiritual armor. The only weapon we are given is truth; what is given in the Bible. I'll let Chris or my dad discuss those in more detail.
          What are your thoughts?

Hello from the novice blogger

A bit about my past. During college lost interest in bible and church because it didn's seem to say anything other than stories. No discussion on what it all meant. So ignored it for 15 years till met my wife to be, at which point I started reading the bible. Was a blessing actually because I was now ready to listen after learning the world had no answers. Years later I'm still learning to listen.

Seems the biggest error Christians make is not listening to what the Bible says because we think we already know what it says. Ideally, we would know nothing before we read it so our minds are a clean slate and can notice what it really says. Plus errors by the translators don't help. One I missed was at Hebrews 9:7 in King James says -- "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people". The translators made an error, maybe intentional, when they translated "errors". You can check it in Strong Concordance (#51) but the New King James reads differently at the end "offered for himself and for theh people's sins committed in ignorance". The sin offerings of the Old Testament (Leviticus Chapter 4) was for sins committed in ignorance, but there was no sin offering for deliberate sins. Jesus sacrificial death was not a better version of the sin offering but completely different sin offering for intentional sins. The rest of Hebrews 9 does not say the Jesus sacrific was better than the temple/tabernacle sin sacrifice but completely different -- and in fact it finally provided justification for these sins that never existed before. I must have read this verse 10-30 times before I finally noticed what it said. Makes you consider how many other verses one reads incorrectly. I now read through the Bible continuously and notice these gems of truth that missed for years.

Regarding Stephen reaction at the end: at that point you have only three choices, curse your killers, be silent, or pray for them. Nothing good can come from the first two so the only positive effect of your last breath is to pray for them so they may question what they've done. Maybe Stephen remembered Proverbs 25:22 -- For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. Would be nice to know if any turned to Christ and regretted being part of those that killed Stephen.

Compassion in the face of hatred and ignorance

          I was reading Acts 6 and 7 this morning. I want to specifically talk about what happened at the end of chapter 7. Stephen was an early Christian. He was spreading the gospel and all that jazz. These Jews from "the Synagogue of Freedom" (this is rather ironic, come to think of it) didn't really like what Stephen was doing and accused him of blasphemy. He was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin (which, as I understand is a sort of religious ruling council).
          When asked about the accusations, Stephen recounts a story all Jews were intimately familiar with: a brief history of Abraham through Joseph and the Exodus. He point out how they are just as stubborn and closed-minded as their ancestors. The council got really angry about this "When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." " (Acts 7:54-56, NIV). They covered their ears at this (can you believe it?!) and dragged him out to be stoned.
          This is the part I am really astounded by: While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. (59 and 60). Even in the face of death, he showed compassion and begged for mercy on their behalf. How many of us would be so loving and compassionate to those who would harm us, those who are so against us it would only be natural to resent them. Stephen didn't curse them or anything like that. Could we do the same?

Something to think about

Damming the river of love. Opening myself up. Concepts mentioned might make for discussion, I figured.

a simple introduction

I thought I would follow suit by briefly introducing myself. My name is Grace, and I'll be 21 in a week and a half. People tell me that I have wisdom or insight sometimes, but for the most part, I think it comes from the Holy Spirit. The other stuff is probably just common sense that I inherited from my dad. ;) I'm looking forward to blogging here because it gives me an opportunity to share what God is doing in my life and hopefully encourage and exhort others.

As for my testimony, it's starts rather simply. I was raised in a Christian home with parents who were faithful to teach me God's word and model God's love. One day when I was five years old, I was alone in my room, studying Bible memory verses, when I felt like I needed to pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart to be saved. Now, I know a lot of children have been pressured into praying prayers and making professions of faith, but my experience was nothing like that. I was able to explain to my mom what I had done, and exactly what it meant. Looking back on it now, I just see the childlike faith of a little girl who wanted a relationship with Jesus. When I was about 8 years old, I asked to be baptized. I think God had helped me overcome my fears by that time, because I was scared to death to do it when I was five. (We went to a larger church then, so of course, getting up in front of everyone was a terrifying thought for a young, shy five year old.) The journey became much rougher when I turned 12, with the onset of obsessive compulsive disorder, but God was faithful even when I didn't know what my mind was telling me or why. The turmoil lasted for about four years, and I spent the next four recovering and reclaiming lost time (at least, in my mind it seemed like lost time). When I started college, God began to help me truly build spiritual strength as an individual apart from my family.

So...yes, that's a little bit about me - Grace. I'm still in the process of becoming the woman of God He wants me to be, and hopefully what I write here will be a reflection of that growth.

Grace and peace to you in Christ. :)

A proper introduction

         I shall start with myself, I am Mishal but "Michelle" is a more common name and so I go by it. Online I am known by Koneko Decaelum. Koneko is Japanese for kitten; I am fond of cats and have an interest in the Japanese culture. Decaelum is (as I recall) Latin for of heaven (or sky). This name could be considered a relic of my slightly younger days but I'm comfortable enough with it as an adult to keep it.
         I like to think I have some insight. In my short twenty-three years I've learned things from my experience and that of others. I don't have much of a testimony if you want one. Grew up in a Christian home and never really strayed far. College is a time of questioning and I felt unsure of my beliefs. After some tossing about with no direction I gave up any notion of rationalizing God and took a leap of faith.
         I now see and understand my faith with new eyes. Hopefully my insights will enrich your life.

Mishal, ready to blog? Question: What does "Koneko Decaelum" mean?

Hello, have no idea what to do or how this is to work. Not even sure can make contact.

Welcome and about this blog

          For a while now, I've been wanting to write somewhere, anywhere a possibly regular feature with what few gems of wisdom that I happen to glean from my stream of consciousness. Unfortunately, my insights are not so regular. So I've decided to invite a friend (and hopefully others) to weigh in on the subject of the moment. The format has not been set at this time, though. I am thinking weekly posts (done by one of us) with exposition and then discussion throughout the week. It may or may not include posts by those who have studied the topic in greater detail (I have a couple of people in mind).
          I hope the next post will be one introducing the regular contributors to the blog. Until then, God bless.