INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS - PART # 3

GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW 
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (PSALM 90:14)
This morning pray, "Lord, I am waiting for You to direct me." While you honor the Lord by listening for His response, you may hear Him speak something specific to you right away. It may seem as though He inscribes direction in your spirit for the day. The devil may tell you that it wasn't really God who spoke to you. Or while you are waiting to hear from God, Satan may tell you that you are wasting your time. It is important to know the truth of God's Word so that the direction God sows in your heart will not be snatched away from you through doubt. God may not lay out a blueprint for your day, but He will direct your path, if you acknowledge Him in all of your ways (See PROVERBS 3:6).  


PRAY AND LISTEN !!!!!!
Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You.            (PSALM 143:8)
We need to pray and then stop and listen. Sometimes we can hear God as a still, small voice from deep within our heart. Many times God will speak through our inner witness so that we "just know" the truth and it sets us free. Suddenly we know what we should or shouldn't do. King David has a lot to say about seeking God in the morning. He prayed in the morning and then watched and waited for God to speak to his heart. I like knowing that God is listening for our prayers. He likes it when we listen to His answer too.   


DON"T BE TOO BUSY !!!!!
It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. 
                       (LAMENTATIONS 3:22__23)
If we are too busy to spend time with God, then we are just too busy, and we are asking for a disaster in our life. We need to ask God to show us things we can get rid of in our life that aren't bearing any fruit. In His Word God says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light . . . Live purposefully . . . making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil" (EPHESIANS 5:14__16). God wants us to be strong in the power of His might and to be ever filled with the Holy Spirit.  



CRAVE GOD"S PRESENCE !!!
My soul yearns for You [O Lord] in the night, yes, my spirit within me seeks You earnestly; for [only] when Your judgments are in the earth will the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).                         (ISAIAH 26:9)
If we hunger enough, we will get something to eat. And if we can't eat before we leave home, we will go to a drive-thur at a fast-food restaurant. Or we will call a place that delivers food to bring us something to eat. 
If we are hungry enough for God, we will find a way into His presence. We should be so hungry for the presence of God the we absolutely will not go out of our house or tackle any kind of project until we have spent some time with Him.
  



FORM GODLY HABITS !!!!!
Fix these word of mine in your hearts and minds . . . talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days . . . may be . . . as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.          (DEUTERONOMY 11:18__21)
Waiting for God's direction each day is something you may have to make yourself do at first, but through practice, it will become natural to begin your day this way. New habits are formed by being consistent. Seeking God first in the morning will soon be something you can't do without. When God wanted His people to remember something, He told them to write it down.You may have to post reminders to seek the Lord around your house in order to follow through with your new intention. But he consistent to seek God first every day, and He will make your successful. (See JOSHUA 1:7__9).  



EXPECT SOMETHING NEW !!
 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (PSALM 5:3)
If you get up and do the exact same thing every morning, you may get pretty bored after a month or so. But seeking God when you first wake up is never boring. He will always have a new revelation ready for you to hear. Keep your expectation fresh by changing what you do in your time with God. You might worship the Lord with singing one morning, listen to Christian music another morning, read God's Word the third morning, sit in His presence or confess His Word the following morning. Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you learn to enjoy starting your day with God.

LISTEN FOR HIS PURPOSE !!!
Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way that he should choose. He himself shall dwell at ease . . . The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him. 
                        (PSALM 25:12__14)
It is God who wakes us each morning. If He didn't keep us alive overnight, it wouldn't matter what kind of an alarm clock we had! The prophet said, "God wakens me morning by morning, and He wakens me for a purpose so that I can hear; I am like a disciple who is taught" (See ISAIAH 50:4). 
Before you even get out bed, listen to hear what God has to say to you. It will be a good day if you start it with a ready ear, taking time to listen to Him. God is eager to reveal today's plan to you.     

START OUT JOYFULLY !!!!
You try the heart and delight in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things. And now I have seen with joy Your people who are present here offer voluntarily and freely to You. O Lord . . . keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the mind of Your people, and direct and establish their hearts toward You. (1 CHRONICLES 29:17__18)
My husband always seems happy. Within five minutes of walking, Ben is humming, singing, or listening to music as he gets ready for the day. Tears ago I didn't want music on in the morning. I didn't want singing or humming or noise of any kind. I wanted silence so I could think. Today I still need a little more quiet than Ben does in the morning. But we have both found the way to start our day our right. We set our hearts and minds to follow God. And it works.   


REJOICE TODAY !!!!!
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; yearn for and seek His face and to be in His presence continually! [Earnestly] remember the marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles, and the judgment He uttered. (1 CHRONICLES 16:10__12).
Many people don't realize how important the morning is, especially those first moments of time that we are awake. God calls the sun to rise for us. He is eager for us to wake up and talk to him again. David the psalmist talked a lot about mornings, saying "This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it" (See PSALM 118:24). David didn't always feel like rejoicing, but he decided to rejoice in God's new day. As soon as you get up, look at yourself in the mirror, smile, and say, "I am going to have a good day because Jesus loves me."   

GET REST !!!!!!
As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You]. (PSALM 17:15)
Each evening the sun sets on all of our problems and on all of the mistakes we made that day. But something marvelous happens to us as we sleep__the Lord gives us rest physically, mentally, and emotionally. We are renewed and rejuvenated to face the next day. Today we may wake up with the same problems we had when we went to bed, problems that yesterday we felt we just couldn't take anymore. But somehow today, after proper rest and sleep, we think, I can do it; can face it again. God promises to renew our strength when we rest in Him.  

GET IN THE FLOW !!!!
You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasure. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light. O continue Your loving-kindness to those who know You, Your righteousness (salvation) to the upright in heart. (PSALM 36:8__10)
I have never been much of a swimmer. I may not be the best at fighting the current, but I can float. It is the best at fighting the current, but I can float. It is wonderful just to trust the water to keep us up and go with the flow. We can trust God to keep us afloat through the rapids and lead us to still waters. The Bible says God's mercy and loving-kindness are "new every morning" (See LAMENTATIONS 3:22__23). His mercy isn't just there waiting for us; it is new, fresh, flowing, and powerful every new day. We need to get in the flow of God's river of life early each day and learn to float on the power of His presence.   


 AVOID THE SLINGERS !!!!
O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You . . . in a dry and weary land where no water is . . . I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.                (PSALM 63:1__3)
There were people in the Bible called slingers who defeated their enemies by slinging stones and throwing dirt into their wells, contaminating their life source of water (See 2 KINGS 3:25). We all know people who sling accusation, judgment, criticism, and faultfinding at others. We certainly don't want slingers in our life, and we don't want to become slingers either. Don't be a slinger who contaminates your own faith or the faith of those around you. Spending time with God will fill you with "living water" (See JOHN 7:38). You will be edified and become a source of encouragement for others all day long.


KEEP IN TOUCH WITH GOD !
Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes] . . . But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. (PSALM 1:1__2)__Keep in touch with God today; stay tuned to His voice. You may have a plan for the day, but God may lead you in totally different direction if you are sensitive to the Holy Ghost. Be brave enough to flow with what you feel in your heart God wants you to do. today is going to be a good day. Listen for the voice of God to lead you. Be determined to walk in the Spirit and stay in the flow of God'd leading today. 

GET UP AND GET GOING !!!!
I am weary with my groaning; all night I soak my pillow with tears, I drench my couch with my weeping . . . Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. (PSALM 6:6__8)
Even before we are totally awake, Satan is bidding to deceive us and is ready to plant defeating thoughts in our mind. He wants us to be hopeless, faithless, and negative. He definitely doesn't want us to be positive when we get up. He wants us to have a bad attitude and be selfish and self-centered, full of hatred, bitterness, resentment, doubt, unbelief, and fear__to be mad at everybody. But thank God, through Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed from all of those negative patterns. We can resist the devil and trust God's power in order to live victoriously today. 


START YOUR DAY RIGHT !!!!
When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up (PSALM 94:18)
Some people seem to start their day on the "wrong foot." They feel all right when they wake up, but as soon as something goes wrong, they lose their footing and walk with a "loser's limp" the rest of the day. Once they are off to a bad start, it seems they never catch up. If someone offends us early in the morning, our anger can keep us defensive all day. If we start the day rushing, it seems we never slow down. But today our feet can be firmly planted in God's Word. There will be no "bad day" when God's Word supports, strengthens, and directs us. 

BE HAPPY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength! 
                                  (PSALM 118:14__15)
Happiness is the result of a radical, outrageous relationship with God. If we want to walk in victory, we have to put some time into our relationship with the Lord. There is much to discover about His plan for us. Our contentment won't last if we are not obeying God by seeking Him with our whole heart. God wants us to really talk to Him and pay attention to His answer. Spend enough time with Him this morning to walk in victory all day. 

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS !!!!!! PART # 2

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS !!!!!!!!
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (MATTHEW 28:20)
A storm on the Sea of Galilee was akin to a sumo wrestler's belly flop on a kiddy pool. The northern valley acted like a wind tunnel, compressing and hosing squalls onto the Lake. Waves as tall as ten feet were common. . . . [Yet] from the center of the storm, the unwavering Jesus shouts, "I am." Tall in the Trade Tower wreckage. Bold against the Galilean waves. ICU, battlefield, boardroom, prison cell, or maternity ward__whatever your storm, "I am." 


Every perfect gift is from God.  (JAMES 1:17) An itinerant preacher from Nazareth can do something for the hurt that is in your heart. Maybe you're trying to rebuild an estranged relationship. . . . Maybe you've been trying to find God for longer than you can remember. There was something about this Nazarene preacher that made people cluster around him like he was God's gift to humanity. He is your gift as well. 

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and that his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 JOHN 4:10)
Does God love us because of our goodness? Because of our kindness? Because our great faith? No, he loves us because of his goodness, kindness, and great faith. John says it like this: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us."


 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. 
         (JOHN 16:13)
Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the son's side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.

God is so great, greater than we can understand! (JOB 36:26)
We may search out the moment the first wave slapped on a shore or the first star burst in the sky, but we'll never find the first moment when God was God, for there is no moment when God was not God. He has never not been, for He is eternal. God is not bound by time. 

God's business is putting things right. (PSALM 11:7)
We don't see Jesus settling many disputes or negotiating conflicts. But we do see him cultivating inward harmony through acts of love:
washing the feet of men he knew would betray him, . . . honoring the sinful woman whom society had scorned. he built bridges by healing hurts.  


I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it.   (REVELATION 2:17) _You may not have known it, but God has a new name for you. When you get home, he won't call you Alice or Bob or Juan or Geraldo. The name you've always heard won't be the one he uses. When God says he will make all things new, he means it. You will have a new home, a new body, a new life, and you guessed it, a new name.

Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. 
          (MATTHEW 25:34)
The problem with this world is that it doesn't fit. Oh, it will do for now, but it isn't tailor-made. We were made to live with God, but on earth we live by faith. We were made to live forever, but on this earth we live but for a moment. We were made to live holy lives, but this world is stained by sin. This world wears like a borrowed shirt. Heaven will fit like one tailor-made.

Don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. (MATTHEW 6:34)
God liberated his children from slavery and created a path through the sea. He gave them a cloud to follow in the day and a fire to see at night. And he gave them food. . . . Each morning the manna came. Each evening the quail appeared. "Trust me. Trust me and I will give you what you need." The people were told to take just enough for one day. Their needs would be met, one day at a time.

You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you. (ISAIAH 26:3)
Have you got God figured out? If so, then listen. . . .Hear the rocks meant for the body of the adulterous woman drop to the ground. . . .Listen to the window from Nain eating dinner with her son who is supposed to be dead. . . .God . . . doing the strangest of things. Stretching smiles where there had hung only frowns. Placing twinkles where there were only tears. 

You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. (MATTHEW 6:27)
Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn't. Our frets are futile. Worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease. God leads us. God will do the right thing at the right time. And what a difference that makes.

Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God.
      (PHILIPPIANS 2:17)
When we face struggles, we often wonder, why? Years from now, though, we may realize that it was those struggles that taught us something we could not have otherwise learned__that there was a purpose in our pain. God's purpose is greater than your pain, and he has a greater purpose than your problems.

  Love . . . does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. (1 CORINTHIANS 13:6)
Isn't it good to know that even when we don't love with a perfect love, God does? He always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For he is love, and love "does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoice with the truth."


In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (GENESIS 1:1)
Of all we don't know about the creation, there is one thing we do know__God did it with a smile. He must've gad a blast. Painting the stripes on the zebra, hanging the stars in the sky, putting the gold in the sunset. What creativity! . . .
Like a whistling carpenter in his workshop, he loved every bit of it. He poured himself into the work. So intent was his creativity that he took a day off at the end of the week just to rest.   

I expect and hope . . . to show the greatness of Christ in my life here on earth, whether I live or die. (PHILIPPIANS 1:20)
It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. I'll take good health and a high I Q. I'll pass on the music skills, but give me a fast metabolism. . . .Would've been nice. But it didn't happen. When it came to your life on earth, you weren't given a voice or a vote. But when it comes to life after death, you were. In my book that seems like a good deal. Wouldn't you agree??? 

 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (GALATIANS 5:14) __Jesus went to great pains to be as human as the guy down the street. He didn't need to study, but still went to the synagogue. He had no need for income, but still worked in the workshop. . . . And upon his shoulders rested the challenge of redeeming creation, but he still took time to walk ninety miles from Jericho to Cana to go to a wedding. As a result, people liked him.

 What is impossible with men is possible with God. (LUKE 18:27)
The rich young ruler thought heaven was just a payment away. It only made sense. You work hard, you pay your dues, and "zap"__your account is credited as paid in full. Jesus says, "No way." What you want costs far more than what you can pay. You don't need a system, you need a Savior. You don't need a resume, you need a Redeemer. For "what is impossible with men is possible with God.

 Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it__because it does. (1 CORINTHIANS 14:1)
Loosen up. Don't you have some people to hug, rocks to skip, or lips to kiss? . . . Someday you are going to retire; why not today? Not retire from your job, just retire from your attitude. Honestly, has complaining ever made the day better? Has grumbling ever paid the bills? Has worrying about tomorrow ever changed it? Let someone else run the world for a while.

I will come back and take you to be with me.
             (JOHN 14:3)
We don't know when Christ will come for us. We don't know how we will come for us. And, we really don't even know why he would come for us. . . . Most of what we have is faith. Faith that he has ample space and a prepared place and, at the right time, he will come so that we can be where he is. He will do the taking. It's up to us to do the trusting. 

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you. (ROMANS 15:7)
Grace makes three proclamations. Dealing with my neighbor is God's responsibility. I must speak; I must pray. But only God can convince. (And he does.) . . . Dealing with my neighbor is God's responsibility. I must speak; I must pray. But only God can convince. (And he does.) . . . God loves me and makes me his child. God loves my neighbor and makes him my brother. 

The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them. (LUKE 19:10)
God will do what it takes__whatever it takes__to bring his children home. He is the shepherd in search of His lamb. His legs are scratched, His feet are sore, and His eyes are burning. He scales the cliffs and traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups His hands to His mouth and calls into the canyon. And the name He calls is yours. 

Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 
      (1 PETER 3:18)
The path of righteousness is a narrow, winding trail up a steep hill. At the top of the hill is a cross. At the base of the cross are bags. Countless bags full of innumerable sins. Calvary is the compost pile of guilt. Would you like to leave yours there as well? 

  Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. (MATTHEW 7:7)
Countless copies of Scriptures sit unread on bookshelves and nightstands simply because people don't know how to read it. What can we do to make the Bible real in our lives? The clearest answer is found in the words of Jesus. "Ask and God will give it to you." The first step in understanding the Bible is asking God to help us.

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS !!!!!!!!!!

In Christ there is all of God in a human         (COLOSSIANS 2:9)

Jesus was not a godlike man, nor a manlike God. He was God-man. . . . The maker of the world with a bellybutton. . . .
What do we do with such a person? We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But when a man does God things? One thing is certain, we can't ignore him. Why would we want to?

Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 
(PHILIPPIANS 2:6) _Need more patience? Drink from the patience of God (2 PETER 3:9). Is generosity an elusive virtue? Then consider how generous God has been with you (ROMANS 5:8). Having trouble putting up with ungrateful relatives or cranky neighbors? God puts up with you when you act the same. "He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" (LUKE 6:35).
                 Can't we love like this???



I know those I have chosen (JOHN 13:18) _Would you choose a wanted murderer to lead a nation out of bondage? Would you call upon a fugitive to carry the Ten Commandments? God did. . . . Called his name through a burning bush. Scared old Moses right out of his shoes! . . . The reassuring lesson is clear. God . . . uses people to change the world. People! Not saints or superhumans or geniuses, but people.


If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 JOHN 4:12)
God loves you. Personally. Powerfully. Passionately.Others have promised and failed. But God had promised and succeeded. He loves you with an unfailing love. And His love__if you will let it__can fill you and leave you with a love worth giving.


Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.   (PSALM 136:1)
If I know that one of the privileges of fatherhood is to comfort a child, then why as I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father comfort me? Why do I think he wouldn't want to hear about my problems? ("They are puny compared to people starving in India.") Why do I think he is too busy for me???


I call to you in times of trouble, because you will answer me.
           (PSALM 86:7)
You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter His presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God, and He listens.

The heavens tell the glory of God.
           (PSALM 19:1)
If you were the only person on earth, the earth would look exactly the same. The Himalayas would still have their drama and the Caribbean would still have its charm. The sun would still nestle behind the Rockies in the evenings and spray light on the desert in the mornings. If you were the sole pilgrim on this globe, God would not diminish its beauty one degree. Because he did it all for you.

God is our protection and our strength. He always help in time of trouble. 

             (PSALM 46:12)

Ever feel as if you need to get away? So did Jesus. (MARK 1:35).
Ever have so many demands that you can't stop for lunch? He can relate. (MARK 6:31). . . .
Do your friends ever let you down? When Christ needed help, his friends dozed off. (MATTHEW 26:40) . . . .
When you turn to him for help, he runs to you to help. Why? He knows how you feel. He's been there. . . . So go to him.

DO YOU SEE YOUR CALLING ???

DO YOU SEE YOUR CALLING !!!!
"Separated unto the gospel." (ROMANS 1:1)
Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God. The one thing that is all important is that the Gospel of God should be realized as the abiding Reality. Reality is not human goodness, nor holiness, nor heaven, not hell; but Redemption; and the need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers we have to get used to the revelation that Redemption is the only Reality. Personal holiness is an effect, not a cause, and if we place our faith in human goodness, in the effect of Redemption, we shall go under when the test comes. Paul did not say he separated himself, but, "when it pleased God who separated me. . . ." Paul had not a hypersensitive interest in his own character. As long as our eyes are upon our own personal whiteness we shall never get near the reality of Redemption. Workers break down because their desire is for their own whiteness, and not for God. "Don't ask me to come into contact with the rugged reality of Redemption on behalf of the filth of human life as it is; what I want is anything God can do for me to make me more desirable in my own eyes." To talk in that way is a sign that the reality of the Gospel of God has not begun to touch me; there is no reckless abandon to God. God cannot deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. Paul is unconscious of himself, he is recklessly abandoned, separated by God for one purpose__to proclaim the Gospel of God (ROMANS 9:3)


THE DILEMMA OF OBEDIENCE !!!!!!!
"And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision"
               (1 SAMUEL 3:15)
God never speaks to us in startling ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand, and we say, "I wonder if that is God's voice?" Isaiah said that the Lord spake to him "with a strong hand," that is, by the pressure of circumstances. Nothing touches our lives but is God Himself speaking. Do we discern His hand or only mere occurrence? Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance. Every time circumstances press, say, "Speak, Lord"; Recall the time when God did speak to you. Have you forgotten what He said? Was it Luke 11:13, or was it 1Thessalonians 5:23? As we listen, our ear gets acute, and, like Jesus, we shall hear God all the time. Shall I tell my "Eli" what God has shown to me? That is where the dilemma of obedience comes in. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences__I must shield "Eli,"  the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli; he had to decide that for himself. God's call to you may hurt your "Eli"; but if you try to prevent the suffering in another life, it will prove an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own peril that you prevent the cutting off of the right hand or the plucking out of the eye. Never ask the advice of another about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will nearly always side with Satan. "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."