Today’s Word – Page 27

Living with the Word

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2)

The Bible presents evidence concerning the past. Scripture gives clear answers to the questions about the past. What is the fundamental problem of mankind? How did it start? What was the consequence? What did God do about it? Why is God’s covenant of Christ the only solution to the problem of mankind? How can then one be saved? Only the Bible explains these crucial issues of mankind.

The Bible also contains answers concerning the present. What happens when one receives and believes Jesus as the Christ? How does one experience the blessing of heaven here on earth? How does one live with a purpose in life? How does one engage in a spiritual battle against the enemy? How does one overcome the world? The solution to every problem in life is found in Scripture.

In addition, Scripture gives directions concerning the future. Where is the fallen world heading? What are the signs of the end times? What is God’s timeline for the gospel movement that will block the disasters and calamities that have come upon the world? What must the church of Christ do? How should the saints live in this age of spiritual chaos? Scripture opens our eyes to the future.

The Holy Spirit, the Author of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16), directed 40 individuals to record God’s Word over a span of 1,500 years. But not one of the Scriptures is missing. Not one is without its mate. God said He would make this happen. His Spirit brought them together (Isa 34:16).

There is only one message of Scripture God has been trying to communicate with mankind: “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” From Genesis to Revelation, there is only one story: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

Scripture is all about God the Father who, from the beginning of time, conceived a plan to save mankind from the power of darkness; God the Son who executed the plan by His death and resurrection; God the Spirit who applies the finished work of the Son by giving life to those who believe that Jesus is the Christ. Scripture is all about God’s persistent love for mankind.

Scripture tells us how uniquely God created mankind (Gen 1:27-28). Scripture also tells us the beginning of all problems of mankind—the Fall (Gen 3:1-6). As a result, all have been living under the power of Satan, sin, and hell.

Compelled by His love for mankind, God called Abraham and made a covenant with him and the people of Israel (Gen 12:1-3). Throughout the Old Testament history, God spoke to His people about the coming of Christ.

When the time came, God, the Word, became a man and lived among us(Jn 1:14). He came to die on the cross, thus obtaining eternal redemption for us (Heb 9:12). He is the Christ, our Lord.

God still proclaims the gospel through His church and continues with His work of salvation. And the gospel about God’s kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world. It will be spread to every nation. Then the end will come (Mt 24:14).

Scripture also says that Christ will then come again, and there will be the final judgment, and God’s kingdom will be completed (Rev 21:1-27).

The Word of God feeds our spirit. When we are born into the family of God, we crave spiritual milk, the Word of God, like newborn babies. With it, we can grow up and be saved.

We are not to live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mt 4:4). When we receive the Word, we are meeting with God Himself.

God still works through the Word even today. God gave us His Spirit when we believed so that we may understand the Word. The Holy Spirit reminds us of the Word in our time of need.

So hold firmly onto God’s promise He gave you through the Word. Discover God’s answers in the Word to every single issue of your life.

Let the Word guard your heart and mind. Let the Word lead you on the road you never walked before. Let the Word heal your soul, spirit, and body, even your thoughts and attitudes (Heb 4:12). You will then see that God will fulfill His Word in your life:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11)

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the Word of life. Let Your Word heal my soul, spirit, and body, even my thoughts and attitudes. Help me follow the Word throughout the day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Life of Worship

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. 1 Chronicles 16:29.Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!Bring your offering and come into his presence.Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. (John 4:24)

The first thing God taught His people in the wilderness after the Exodus was worship. He commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle, which housed the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 26:1-37). God wanted to teach His people that experiencing and living in His presence through worship determines everything in life.

Some people, unfortunately, failed to recognize the importance of worship. God commanded Joshua to keep a distance between the people and the ark (Jos 3:4).

When the Philistines took the ark, God’s hand was against them, bringing calamities and troubles (1 Sam 5:1-12). When Uzzah unlawfully touched the ark, he was put to death (2 Sam 6:1-8).

When Michal despised in her heart her husband King David leaping and dancing before God when the ark entered the city, she remained barren for the rest of her life (1 Sam 6:16-23).

God did not intend to bring terror to His people because of the ark. He wanted His people to know the meaning and importance of worship. His message for us is the same even today: Failure in worship leads to failure in life.

During worship, God speaks to us through His servants. This is why God’s messengers for His church must not try to make their message beautiful and convincing. Instead, they should struggle in prayer, asking God to give them the message He wants for His people.

As we receive the message, we must acknowledge God’s messengers, no matter how lacking they appear, because God lacks nothing. They are simply a postman delivering messages from God in heaven.T hus, we must focus on what God says to us during worship.

Tragically, when Miriam and Aaron failed to acknowledge their own brother Moses as the servant of God, Miriam was cursed with leprosy (Num 12:1-10), and Aaron ended up making the golden calf (Ex 32:1-35). We often miss God’s cues in obvious places. So continue to pray for your pastors and those who labor for the sake of the gospel.

Before we worship, we must understand the One we are worshiping. This is the age of idolatry. People worship the creation, not the Creator. They worship themselves, money, and pleasure. The believers may act religiously, but they are ignorant of and even reject the power of the gospel (2 Tim 3:1-5).

We often worship without knowing the reality of the Triune God during worship. God the Father carries out His covenant through the Word; God the Son executes the work of the Christ, destroying the curses of Satan, sin, and hell; God the Spirit applies the blessing of salvation, empowering us so that we may stand as Christ’s witnesses.

The One to worship is our God, the Almighty, who is holy, who always was, who is, and who is still to come (Rev 4:8). He is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor, and power (Rev 4:11). He is the One to whom we should sing a new song (Rev 5:9-10). He is the Lamb who was killed, and all power, wealth, wisdom, and strengthbelong to Him. He is worthy to receive our honor, glory, and praise (Rev 5:12-13).

This is the worship God desires—in the Spirit and truth (Jn 4:24). It’s the kind of worship led by the Spirit and following the truth, the Word of God. When we come to worship, we should remember:

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few”(Ecc 5:1-2).

Begin your worship with praise, acknowledging who God is (Heb 13:15). Come before Him with confidence in prayer, knowing what happens in the heavenly realms when you pray (Rev 5:8, Rev 8:3-4).

Be attentive to what God has to say to you with reverence and eager expectation (Ps78:1, Neh 8:5-9). And give cheerfully with gratitude what belongs to God, from whom all blessings flow (Prov3:9-10, Mt 6:21, Mal 3:10-12).

Are you struggling with life’s problems and challenges? Why don’t you restore the blessing and the joy of worship today?

When the disciples met the risen Christ, they worshiped Him (Mt 28:17). They finally recognized Jesus as the eternal God who deserved their worship. They were consumed by the great love of Christ, who laid down His life for them.

They were stunned by the power of resurrection God displayed through Christ. Because of what Christ has done, they experienced new freedom from Satan, sin, and hell.

They saw Jesus with absolute authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Jesus had their full attention—their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This is what worship is all about. When you get to know Jesus, you will worship Him.

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the privilege to come before You in worship. Restore in me the joy of worship in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What Happens When You Pray?

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:9-13)

Prayer is a spiritual science. Just as science reveals facts, accurate answers come from God when you pray. It operates according to spiritual principles, much like scientific laws. People suffer due to a lack of spiritual understanding (Hos 4:6), and believers struggle in life without grasping the mystery of prayer.

When you pray, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully in and through you. As Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). The Holy Spirit’s work cannot be stopped (Acts 2:1-4). He will empower you from above to overcome the forces of Satan and the world (Acts 1:8). The Spirit will also guide you on the right path (Acts 6:6-10).

When you pray, God dispatches His angels to receive every word you think and speak: “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand” (Rev 8:3-4). The angels offer up your prayer to the God of Creation!

The work of angels is evident throughout Scripture. Three angels delivered the message that God would give Abraham a son (Gen 18:2-15). God sent an angel to assist Elijah in despair (1 Kings 19:5-7). God sent an army with horses and chariots of fire to protect the city of Dothan, where Elijah was staying, from the vast army of Aram (2 Kings 6:13-17). When God heard Hezekiah’s prayer in crisis, He sent an angel to strike the 185,000-strong Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:35). To Daniel in the lion’s den, God sent angels for rescue (Dan 6:22).

To prepare for the coming of His Son, God sent the angel Gabriel to Zechariah to bring the good news of the birth of John the Baptist (Mk 1:11-20). After Jesus overcame the temptation of the devil, angels came and attended him (Mt 4:11). The ministry of the angels intensified with the gospel movement carried out by the early Christians (Acts 5:19, 8:26, 10:3, 12:7, 12:23, 27:23).

The prayer of the saints spoken in the name of Jesus is powerful. In the name of Jesus, the kingdom of Satan falls, and the power of evil spirits crumbles. Prayer can change anything. So stop worrying about your life, but start praying! Your heavenly Father made the earth, formed it, and established it. When you pray, He will answer you and tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come (Jer 33:3). Seek first His kingdom and ask His absolute plans for your life through prayer!

Prayer. Father, open my eyes to see what happens when I pray. Help me to pray in the Spirit in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Church of Jesus Christ

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

The most important blessing we all must experience at every moment is salvation. Nothing is more dramatic than becoming the children of God. Nothing is more exciting than obtaining freedom from the law of sin and death. Nothing is more assuring than possessing the right to receive answers to prayer. Nothing is more rewarding than living a life of witness for Christ. And nothing is more privileged than becoming a member of the church of Jesus Christ.

God’s absolute plan is to build His church worldwide (Mt 16:18). He already laid out His plans to establish His church: Christ, His kingdom, and the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:1-8). To that end, God gathered a few who believed in His eternal covenant (Ac 1:14). And His church was born (Ac 2:1-47).

The only thing this church did was this: “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Ac 5:42). This is the church God desires to establish even today.

God appointed His church leaders to continue the gospel movement (Ac 6:1-7). He allowed the persecution connected with Stephen to build His church at Antioch (Ac 11:19-30). Through this church, God opened the door to world missions (Ac 13:1-3).

The church of Christ was spreading all over Macedonia (Ac 16:6-40), Thessalonica (Ac 17:1-9), Ephesus (Ac 18:18-28), Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11), Philadelphia (Rev 3:7-13), and Rome (Rom 16:1-23). These churches were established in someone’s home right in the heart of the mission fields.

God desires church, not just church buildings. Why did God destroy the three temples built by Solomon, Zerubbabel, and Herod? Why did God dismiss the churches in the Middle Ages? Why does God lament over today’s church?

A church without a courtyard for the Gentiles, a courtyard for healing, and a courtyard for the children, the remnants, is no church at all. This is why Jesus was furious when He entered the temple (Jn 2:13-19). That temple would not survive (Mt 24:2).

Throughout history, whenever the church of Christ lost its identity and missions, all kinds of disasters and calamities covered the world. Today, the number of churches worldwide is shrinking at an alarming rate. God called His church as a guardian of the message of the cross, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is disappearing, distorted, and water-downed. As a result, the entire world is suffering. This is the church’s responsibility.

Knowing the incredible power of the gospel, Satan raises false prophets and teachers to throw people into confusion, even the people of God. They do so by placing miracles and signs, legalism, myths, and religious lifestyles above God’s way of salvation through Christ alone. They are trying to invalidate the unconditional love and the unbounded grace of God. They are not ashamed of preaching the so-called “prosperity gospel,” which is really no gospel at all.

As a result, today’s believers live and act like spiritual orphans or babies. They are like people who are constantly changing, like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. They are influenced by new teachings from people trying to deceive them using clever plans and tricks to fool them into following the wrong way.

To this end, we must restore our true identity as a church and commit our lives again to the Great Commission Jesus gave to His church (Mt 28:18-20). But how?

We must first restore the blessing of worship centered on Christ (Ac 2:42). As the Early Church did, we must not stop teaching and preaching the gospel that Jesus is the Christ (Ac 5:42).

As Today’s Word admonishes us, we must prepare God’s people for the work of serving, making the body of Christ stronger. This work must continue until we are all joined together only in the gospel and experience Jesus Life and Jesus Power in our daily lives. Let us keep our hearts pure to the gospel and help the people of God stay strong in the faith without being swayed by different gospels.

Let us not forget who God called us to be. We are the support and foundation of the truth (1 Tim 3:15). Let us continue to stand firm on the truth that Jesus is the Christ.

To everyone God brings to our lives, let us act on behalf of Christ (Mt 25:40). We are Christ’s ambassadors entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20).

Christ is sending us to bring healing to all nations completely covered by darkness (Jn 20:21; Mk 16:15). We have the ultimate responsibility of passing on the gospel to the next generation of churches (Jn 21:15-17).

Most importantly, remember that you are the church (1 Cor 3:16). You are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit lives in you. That’s what makes you special and unique. You have been set apart for the work God has prepared for long ages past. Wherever you go, there goes the church, and the people will be blessed through you.

Also, we are the church (Mt 18:18-20). When you get together with brothers and sisters in Christ, He will be there. Christ’s church will be established among you. When this church prays in His name, anything is possible.

Find those who know the mystery of Christ. You will see the church of God being established among you. The power of hell will not overcome this church (Mt 16:18). Pray for your local church that they may devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching (the Word), fellowship, the breaking of bread (experiencing the power of death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and prayer (Ac 2:42), so that a life-changing work of God may take place in your region.

Prayer. Father, I thank You for Your church. May Your church restore Your light and shine into the world completely covered by darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living a Life of Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

When you believed Jesus as the Christ and received Him as your Lord and Savior, God gave you the privilege of prayer.

Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19). When you pray in Jesus’ name, you can move heaven and earth! God has given this privilege only to His children.

Before you pray, know the mystery of the Triune God—Immanuel (Eph 1:13-14). Experience your heavenly background where the incredible power of the Triune God is present.

God the Father still carries out His covenant through the Word; God the Son executes the work of the Christ, destroying the curses of Satan, sin, and hell; God the Spirit applies the blessing of salvation, empowering us so that we may stand as Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. The work of the Triune God is hard to express, but it is real.

You must also believe that when you pray, your Father will give you the best gift of all: the filling of the Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13). He will not withhold anything from you. He even let His own Son suffer for us and gave Him for all of us. So now, with Jesus, God will surely give us all things (Rom 8:32).

Because our True Priest Jesus lives in us, we can come before God’s throne with confidence, where we receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it (Heb 4:16).

When you meet with God in prayer, you will taste the greatest joy of all—being with Him. When you ask for anything in Jesus’ name, God will do it, and His glory will be shown through the Son (Jn 14:13).

As you experience the presence of God, you will grow strong in His grace and see His plans accomplished in you and through you. You can pray and ask God for everything you need in every situation!

Learn to live a life of prayer. Never stop praying (1 Thess 5:17). You may wish to set aside specific times for prayer (Dan 6:10, Ac 3:1). Like breathing, make prayer the rhythm of your life. Also, praying with other believers is powerful and effective (Mt 18:19-20).

When you pray, begin with praise by acknowledging who God is (1 Chr 29:11-12). Your Father, to whom all greatness, power, glory, victory, honor, and everything in heaven and on earth belong. The Ruler over everything.

Do not hide your guilt and the sins you committed before God (Ps 32:5). Experience the blessing of forgiveness by holding onto what your True Priest Jesus has done on the cross—breaking the power of sin over you.

Always give thanks to God for everything, believing in God’s perfect plans in all circumstances (Eph 5:20). Don’t forget to lift others in your prayer, as your prayer for them is powerful and effective (Jas 5:16). Of course, you may present any requests to your Father (Mt 7:7-8).

God is not expecting some tremendous religious faith from you. He wants you to believe in Him. To that end, remain in the Word (Jn 15:7). Hold on to God’s promises and His plans revealed in the Word.

Finally, know the power of the name of Jesus when you pray (Jn 14:14). Ask by faith (Mt 21:22). Believe that you have already received the things you asked for, then they will be yours (Mk 11:24).

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the privilege of prayer. Teach me how to live a life of prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dealing with New Conflicts

Through Christ, God has given us the complete, permanent, and eternal gift of salvation. And yet, we often find ourselves in various conflicts in life. Our family, work, and relationships, to name a few. This is perfectly normal and common to all people (1 Cor 10:13). Now that you have been saved, the way you deal with these conflicts must be different.

First, know whom you have become in Christ. You are under the law of the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2). The law of sin and death cannot rule over you any longer. That Spirit of life lives in you and will never leave you (Jn 14:16). He will help you understand the Word and give you peace (Jn 14:26-27).

So, do not be afraid of any conflicts and hardships in your life. Your body became God’s temple, where the Holy Spirit lives (1 Cor 3:16). Nothing can destroy you.

The Holy Spirit, who knows the deep secrets of God, will give you wisdom so that you may discern God’s will in the midst of the conflicts (1 Cor 2:10-12). God has chosen you. Thus, in everything that happens to you, God works for your own good. That is His plan (Rom 8:28).

Therefore, dealing with your conflicts must begin with being with God. Knowing that you will be struggling with conflicts in your life, Jesus promised to send you the Helper, the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7).

So, live the way the Spirit leads you. Then, you will not follow your own instinct or act on your selfish motives. Let the Spirit lead you, and you will experience freedom in all circumstances (Gal 6:16-18).

Remember, you have an anointing from the Holy One. So you will know the truth in all this (1 Jn 2:20-21).

How do you then follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit? By earnestly seeking His guidance through prayer in all circumstances (Ac 13:1).

In dealing with conflicts, don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything with thanksgiving. And God’s peace will guard your heart and mind (Php 4:6-7).

To this end, always keep the Word in you, and you will see clear answers to your prayer (Jn 15:7). Most importantly, pray in Jesus’ name, relying on the power of His name. And you will be filled with joy even in the midst of the conflicts and hardships (Jn 16:23-24).

Remember, all conflicts are an opportunity. All hardships are an instrument God has chosen to bless you. If you are faced with some serious health issues, know that it is a God-ordained opportunity to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do not just challenge or deal with the conflicts. Lay down all your selfish motives and unbelief. Try to discover God’s perfect and pleasing will.

Try to see beyond your conflicts. Believe that God has prepared something far better than you can think or imagine.

Prayer. Father, I thank You for allowing conflicts and hardships in my life. I know that You have plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future in all this. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Must Know Spiritual Problems Correctly

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:7-8)

Because God has finished everything through Christ, make every effort not to fall into unbelief. Satan knows our nature of unbelief very well. We used to live in his kingdom of unbelief, obeying his commands and following his thoughts and ways.

Even after we have been set free from Satan’s kingdom of darkness by the power of the blood of Christ, the devil has been pursuing us like a roaring lion. He does not want us to know that God cares for us.

The devil wants us to doubt God’s unconditional, infinite, irresistible love for us and thus worry about our lives. The devil is patiently waiting for a moment to devour us. This is why you should remember that life’s worries always lead to problems, conflicts, and crises.

Today’s Word commands you not to worry but to cast all your anxiety on God. Why? Your life’s problems are not yours any longer. They belong to God. He wants you to rest in Him.

Your Father doesn’t want you to carry the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. He wants to give you the load that is easy and light, the gospel that came to you through Jesus (Mt 11:28-30). Believe that Jesus’ cross has ended everything. So give all your worries to God and wait, and He will take care of them.

Selfish motives always lead to greed, jealousy, and frustration. Our only motive in life should be Christ and His kingdom. Our only way to live is by faith in Him, who loved us and died for us (Gal 2:20).

Christ should sit on the throne of our lives, not us. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). No matter how fragile and worthless we may think we are, like a jar of clay, when we hold this treasure, Jesus Christ, our Lord, deep in us, we will experience the incredible power that is from God, not from us (2 Cor 4:7). So enthrone Him at every moment of your life.

And yet, we often find ourselves with problems that do not go away. These are the spiritual problems brought by our enemy, the devil. Today’s Word tells us that he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, especially those believers who fall into unbelief and thus continue to worry.

Who is this enemy, the devil? He is the fallen angel (Eze 18:14-29, Isa 14:12-15) who lost the war against Michael and his angels. He is the dragon who lost its place in heaven and its angels. He was thrown out of heaven. This giant dragon is that old snake (Gen 3:1), called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world in the wrong way. The dragon and its angels were thrown to the earth (Rev 12:7).

The devil, filled with anger, tries to create as much terror and destruction as possible because he knows he doesn’t have much time (Rev 12:12). Eventually, he will be thrown into the fire prepared for him and his angels (Mt 25:41).

Using that old snake, the devil tempted Adam and Eve by lying to them (Gen 3:1-6). Since then, he has been ruling the entire human race by enticing them into the ways of the world (Eph 2:2-3).

He carries out evil schemes against us (Eph 6:11). He uses the rulers and authorities, the powers of this world’s darkness, and the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12).

The devil does not want us to be still standing when we have done everything (Eph 6:13). To that end, he continues to shoot flaming arrows at us (Eph 6:16). He also changes himself to look like an angel of light, offering good things in life and something irresistible (2 Cor 11:14).

Using politics, culture, and economy, he is blinding the people’s minds so they may not see the light of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4-5). He mobilizes evil spirits to take over the people’s spirit, soul, mind, and body (Mk 5:3-15; Mk 9:17-18; Lk 13:16). He is highly organized with specific goals and plans (Rev 2:9).

To win against the devil, we must, therefore, put on the full armor of God: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word (Eph 6:11-17). This armor is not something we can manufacture; it is given by God. We just need to receive it by faith.

When it comes to a spiritual battle, always be on the offensive! Do not let your guard down. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (Jas 4:7).

Do not give up or do not lose your heart and grow weary as your God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Rom 16:20). Most of all, pray in the Spirit at all times (Eph 6:18).

Remember, God has given you what it takes to overcome the world and defeat the power of the devil (Mt 16:18). Evangelism is a confrontation against the enemy that is most destructive to his kingdom of darkness.

That is why God has given the blessing of proclaiming the gospel to those who believe that Jesus is Christ. God has also given you the most incredible privilege of all—prayer (Mt 16:19). You can move the things in heaven and on earth by prayer! The victory is guaranteed. So go fight against the enemy!

Prayer. Father, open my eyes so that I may see spiritual problems. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may stand firm against the evil schemes of the devil. As my True King Jesus lives in me, I declare victory over the enemy even before engaging in my spiritual battle. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

How Should You Deal with Your Sufferings?

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:7-11)

Now that you have been saved by the blood of Christ, do not make a mistake about yourself. Do not let anything define who you are in Christ.

Do not be deceived by the devil any longer. He will try to fool you with both success and failure in life. The devil will try to encourage pride and boast in place of gratitude when God gives you success. He will try to make you fall into discouragement when you think you failed. He will also use your present circumstances to make you fall into unbelief.

Most of all, the devil will try to fool you by using his original tactic against humanity: “You will be like God” (Gen 3:5). He will try to make you think you can fool God, but you are only fooling yourself.

You will harvest what you plant. If you live to satisfy your sinful self, the harvest you will get from that will be eternal death. But if you live to please the Spirit, your harvest from the Spirit will be eternal life (Gal 6:7-8). Remember, the devil is the “father of lies,” and everything he says is lies (Jn 8:44).

So, be very careful when you think you can do it. It is God who made all you are and all you have possible through Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who lives in you, leading and empowering you. You are what you are by the grace of God (1 Cor 15:10). At every moment of your life, enter into the finished work of salvation with gratitude.

But when faced with hardships in your life, how should you deal with them?

First, you must understand that suffering was not a part of God’s original design. He made us truly happy by giving us a unique identity and authority in Him (Gen 1:27-28).

Human suffering began with the appearance of Satan, the introduction of sin into the world, and the fall from the glory of God (Gen 3:1-20). And the sufferings will continue through eternity (Lk 16:19-30).

Original sin brought death to mankind (Eph 2:1). The devil took over the entire human race as his own (Jn 8:44) and had been controlling their lives from the beginning of time (Eph 2:2). As a result, all have been oppressed by the power of the devil, living in the background of hell (Ac 10:38).

But God so loved the world that He sent the True King to destroy the devil’s work (1 Jn 3:8). He sent the True Priest to break the curses of sin and to end our sufferings (1 Pe 3:18). And He sent the True Prophet to bring us back to Him by rescuing us from the background of hell (Jn 14:6).

Only the One who could carry out all three offices of the True King, the True Priest, and the True Prophet could end our fundamental problems and sufferings. The Anointed One. The Christ. His name is Jesus. He finished the work of the Christ on the cross (Jn 19:30).

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead, something happened to all of our problems and sufferings. Jesus was punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain. We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet God put all our guilt on Him (Isa 53:6-7).

Jesus carried away all of our weaknesses and sufferings! He even took away our diseases and carried away our sicknesses (Mt 8:15-17).

If you are a child of God, your problems and sufferings are not yours any longer. Jesus nailed all of them on the cross when He was crucified.

God allows problems and sufferings in your life for a new beginning, a new plan, a new hope, and a new future (Jer 29:11). So, give all your worries to God because He cares for you (1 Pet 5:7).

Be aware of the devil as he is trying to fool you with your present circumstances. Lay down all your thoughts and your ways (Gal 2:20). God’s thoughts and His ways are higher than yours (Isa 55:8-9). Live only by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you.

Do not treat Jesus as one of your guests. He deserves to be the ultimate Master of your life (Jn 2:1-10). When Jesus becomes the Lord of your life, He will do His work in you and through you, which you cannot possibly think or imagine—turning water into wine!

Know that the sufferings in your life are common to all children of God. By grace, God has chosen you to share in His glory in Christ. It is God who allows you to suffer for a short time. But after that, He will make everything right. He will make you strong (1 Pet 5:10).

God will support you and keep you from falling. Do not try just to endure your sufferings. Try to discover God’s perfect plans through the Word, and you will be able to “enjoy” any circumstances of your life. And your Father will be glorified through all this.

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the troubles and sufferings You have allowed in my life. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, I now declare that these problems are not a problem but a beginning of Your blessing. I believe that, after I suffer a little while, You will restore me and make me strong, firm, and steadfast. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The True Testimony

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)

Scripture reveals the reason for the continual failures and suffering of the nation of Israel: forgetting and losing the covenant of God, that is, the gospel. As a result, they followed idols and religions. Instead of believing in the eternal covenant of God, legalism controlled their minds and their actions. Tragically, slavery, captivity, and occupation became a permanent part of their history.

Even today, many believers are following “different gospels.” Today’s church has forgotten and even abandoned the only gospel that Jesus is the Christ. All kinds of church programs, which have nothing to do with the gospel, end up throwing people into confusion and trying to pervert the gospel of Christ (Gal 1:6-9).

Scripture warns that it will only get worse. People will be impressed by all kinds of miracles and signs and follow false prophets. The love of most believers and churches will grow cold and will not care about the lost (Mt 24:1-14).

People will become lovers of themselves, money, and pleasure. They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to change the way they live (2 Tim 3:1-5). Why? Many believers do not know the worth of what they possess—salvation.

According to Today’s Word, the beginning of salvation is God. The means of salvation is His Son, Jesus Christ. And “it is the Spirit of God who testifies” (1 Jn 5:6).

Thus, salvation is all about God from the beginning to the end, the marvelous work of the Triune God. God saved us not because of what we have done. We do not possess anything worthy of salvation. Nothing we do can defeat the power of Satan, sin, and hell. Scripture says that we were all dead (Eph 2:1); under the power of the devil (Eph 2:2); by nature deserving of wrath (Eph 2:3).

Nothing in us could contribute to the work of salvation. That is why Paul declared: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Paul confirmed for us the fact that salvation begins with the grace of God and that the means of salvation is faith in Christ. Even that faith is from God!

Unfortunately, many believers rely on their own standards for salvation. They keep asking what they must do without understanding the only way to be saved: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 Jn 5:1).

People also rely on their own experiences or human testimony. They pay attention to what the majority says. But what God says is more important. And God’s testimony is about His Son (1 Jn 5:11-12).

Do not rely on your feelings. The gospel is the fact that Jesus became the Christ to set us free from the curses of Satan, sin, and hell. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you have been saved. You have eternal life. This is why God gave us His Word to know we have eternal life in Christ.

What God has freely given to us is not confusing. He made the gospel simple and yet powerful. It must be easy and light if it is from God, who is love (Mt 11:30).

Know what happened to you when you were born again. You possess eternal life from the moment you believe and receive Jesus as Christ. You will not be judged guilty. You have already left death and entered life (Jn 5:24).

The Holy Spirit lives in you and will be with you forever (Jn 14:16). He is helping you understand spiritual things (Jn 14:26) and will tell you what is to come (Jn 16:13).

God has put a new spirit in you. He replaced a heart of stone with a genuine heart (Eze 11:19). You get to call the God of the universe “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:14-16). In God’s family, you gained new brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Cor 16:20).

God made everything brand new (2 Cor 5:17). You no longer have to dwell on your past. God has given you wisdom so that you may discern right from wrong and desire to do what pleases God (1 Jn 2:29).

Your name has been permanently recorded in heaven through Christ, and He will not remove your name from the Book of Life. He will say that you belong to Him before God the Father and before His angels(Rev 3:5). You have been given a new song to the Lamb, who is worthy to be praised forever! (Rev 5:9)

Now that you are saved, you will begin to love your brothers and sisters (1 Jn 5:1). You will be able to see others through the lens of the gospel. You will be able to understand and embrace anyone.

You will also love to obey the Word because you love God (1 Jn 5:2-3). You will stand firm on God’s testimony of salvation (1 Jn 5:6-13).

As a child of God, you have been given the privilege to approach His throne with confidence that He listens to you every time you ask Him in prayer and that He gives you whatever you ask from Him according to His will (1 Jn 5:14-15).

You will strive to live a godly life, knowing that your True King Jesus keeps you safe, and the evil one cannot hurt you anymore (1 Jn 5:18). By the power God has given to you, you will win against the world (1 Jn 5:4). And you will love to live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself to save you (Gal 2:20).

You are a remnant of this age. God has chosen you to save the world with the power of the gospel. Stand firm on the testimony of God, and you will triumph over the enemy, the devil, by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony (Rev 12:11).

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the assurance that I have eternal life. Help me stand firm on Your testimony, not my own understanding. Use my life to deliver Your testimony about the Son to those believers living without assurance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You Belong to Heaven

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

The moment you believed and received Jesus as the Christ, you were born into the family of God. By the law of the Spirit of life, you have been adopted as a child of God.

You do not have to serve your ex-father, the devil. You will never return to your old family that belongs to the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44). You have crossed from death to life (Jn 5:24). God gave you the right to become children of God (Jn 1:12). The adoption process through Christ Jesus is completed. It is finished!

Just running away from slave masters will not give slaves freedom. Someone with power has to change his slave status into that of a free man by law. That’s precisely what Christ has done on the cross. By the new law, He set us free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). If you are in Christ, therefore, you are no longer under the old law. No more condemnation for you under the old law. You have been completely set free by law!

So, do not place your own standard above the grace of God. When you put your faith only in the One who loved you and died for you, you will begin to live with the assurance that you are forever a child of God. And nothing can change that.

You will know that God answers your prayer because of who you are and gives you victory in all circumstances. You will see that the power of sin cannot overcome you any longer. You will experience peace and rest, knowing that the Holy Spirit will lead you to your home in heaven.

Everything pirates do aboard a pirate ship is evil, no matter how noble it may be. Whatever they do, they contribute to the evil activities of piracy. The only ticket to change their destiny is to get off the pirate ship and board the salvation ship.

God so loved the world that He did not leave us under the curse of Satan, sin, and hell. What God has done is not something temporary that the world offers. He brought fundamental and complete changes in us through Christ. So, get off your old ship, get on board with Christ, and sail with Him. When you do, amazing healing will take place in you.

Therefore, it is critical to know why God sent His Son to the world—salvation (1 Peter 1:9). This is the ultimate reason and goal of our faith. Salvation means complete freedom from your past. Because Jesus, your True King, lives in you, Satan no longer has power over you. You no longer have to run errands for the devil.

Salvation means victory in your present circumstances. You now possess the incredible status and authority that came with the position of children of God. Because Jesus, your True Priest, lives in you, the curses of sin have no power over you. Salvation means certainty about your future. God has seated you with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6).

Because Jesus, your True Prophet, lives in you, you are on your way home to heaven. So, do not focus on the things of the world. How did salvation come to us? By the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4).

When Christ came into the world, no one received nor believed in Him (Jn 1:9-11). And yet, He voluntarily gave up His own life and went to Calvary (Jn 10:18). The devil could not touch Him. Jesus willingly struck His own heel.

Why? To finish the work of salvation, God the Father had begun at the beginning of time—the plan He had revealed to us in Scripture. Jesus came to fulfill the ultimate covenant of God—Christ. By rising again from the dead, He put the last enemy to be destroyed under His feet—death (1 Cor 15:26). By living in us as our True King, Jesus will soon put the enemy under our feet (Rom 16:20).

Know that you belong to heaven (Php 3:20). Your name is written in heaven (Lk 10:20). God will never blot out your name from the Book of Life (Rev 3:5).

The Holy Spirit living in you is a deposit that God will give you the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased you to be His own people(Eph 1:14). So, boldly declare: “I hereby confirm that by the blood of Christ, I became a child of God, and that I possess the citizenship of heaven here on earth, and that my name is written in the book of life.”

Prayer. Father, I thank You for bringing me out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of heaven. Now I know my name is written in the Book of Life, and nothing can change that. Use my life today to proclaim the gospel of Your kingdom wherever You send me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.