God will not Fail You

 Those who are faithful can always expect God's help. God never abandons his faithful children. How can you be more faithful than God?

David was God's faithful servant, but he was persecuted by King Saul. His life was in danger and he had to find refuge in a cave. In his distress, he prayed fervently.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfil his purpose for me. Ps 57:1–2 NLT

When we are in deep trouble, whether we are to blame or innocent like David, we must seek the Lord with all our heart.

He will never let you down.

If you fail but still choose to stand by Jesus, you can expect God's grace and mercy.
God saved David again and again.
God trained David through many hard trials so that he became the greatest of all kings.

Do you want to fulfil your calling from God? Then you can expect hard trials.
God always has a plan to lead you out of every trouble.

Often you don't know how to pray.
Jesus has given you his Holy Spirit to help you in your weakness.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Rom 8:26–27 NIV

Paul was also often in impossible situations, but God saved him again and again and healed him of terrible wounds, otherwise he would not have been able to continue.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 2 Cor 11:24–25 NASB95

Paul had to suffer so much. Nevertheless, he wrote:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 NIV

God's almighty weapons in your hands.
Proclaim God's word.
Intercession. The marvellous gift of grace to pray in languages we have never learned.

Emergency Landing? Safe in God's Hands.

I had spent five weeks in Germany with great friends and acquaintances. The long flight home was almost over. We were approaching the airport in Perth, Australia, at midnight.

About three seconds before landing, the plane wobbled dramatically and everyone was stunned.

The rear wheels made a fleeting contact with the runway and in a rush we zoomed back up.

Then we had time to think.

There was a shocked silence in the plane, but I felt completely safe and relaxed.

Of course, an unexpected gust of crosswind had disrupted the landing, but I was happy that we had such a brilliant pilot.

I was grateful that God was at work, that I was totally protected and safe in God's love and power.

It was only five minutes later that the captain reported that a crosswind had hindered the landing and that we would land again in a few minutes.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. Ps 16:9 NASB95

Are you in danger? You can rely on God.
God will not let you down.

Your Angelic Bodyguard.

 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Ps 91:11 NIV

Many Christians can sense the presence of the Lord and also the presence of demons, but when you talk about experiences with angels, they become very cautious or critical.

They are afraid of being deceived by devils in disguise.

They emphasise that it is necessary to distinguish between good and evil spirits. There are people who are quick to suspect or detect demonic activity but reluctant to recognise the activity or presence angels.

This is sometimes very understandable because many people in regions read books about angels. These books tell how one can seek a spiritual relationship with certain angels, how one can address prayers to these angels and receive special favours from these angels.

There are good Christians who rightly reject this unbiblical teaching, but then unfortunately do not want to hear about angels.

They don't even want to begin to celebrate the miraculous promises that speak to us of the constant presence and help of God's angels.

Elisha was not at all nervous or reserved about this.

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Ki 6:17 NIV

My daughter told me when she was eight years old that she had seen an angel.
I have a friend in Germany whose son also saw his guardian angel when he was 8 years old.

When I was preparing to visit Germany, a woman in our church prophetically said she saw a big angel standing behind me, and I believe this strong angel accompanied me in Germany.

This angel was not just to protect me, because I have my guardian angel like all followers of Jesus, but God had given me another angel to help me in His ministry.

God does this for all His children who do something for God where special miracle-working power is needed.

The Word of God promises that God will always stand by us and protect us through His unconquerable power.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5 NLT

The Greek text tells us that God is guarding us with a garrison, or bodyguard, which refers to angels.

This verse from the Psalms has the same message.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Ps 34:7 NIV

I am always accompanied by angels and so are you if you follow Jesus and are active in His ministry by faith.

God does not abandon his children.
You should not be afraid of God's angels, and why should you not recognise and celebrate the presence of angels?

That is a gift from God.  

But someone will say that emphasising angels would distract us from worshipping God.

This can happen when our relationship with God is very weak and we seek other sensations.

But if we really love God but talk and think much more about demons than about God's angels, then we are making a very bad mistake.

And that is the situation with many charismatic Christians.
Just as in the story of Elisha, the participation of angels in our lives should be a great encouragement to us.

Never Give Up!

Are you overwhelmed with bullying and misunderstandings? You might be thinking: ‘I'm finished. I just can't take any more!’

I've heard those words several times. I know Christians who have been bullied and abused from a young age. They often think about suicide, but they don't give up.

I know Christians whose fathers, siblings or children have committed suicide. Their emotional pain is unspeakable, but they don't give up.

I became a Christian at the age of 24. My first church was an authoritarian sect.

I was excommunicated. I had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised for a whole year.

I was discharged, but I needed strong medication for a very long time. But I had found Jesus and I didn't give up.

Many Christians have cruel experiences. Some give up and are no longer interested in God, but I found that God is faithful. Jesus never let me down.

Jesus understands this agony. As a child, he was repeatedly subjected to slander. Everyone knew he was conceived when his parents were not yet married. Not a problem nowadays, but a disgrace back then.

Shortly after he began his ministry as a preacher, he visited his hometown. As Jesus was preaching, his former neighbours tried to murder him.

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.

But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. Lk 4:28–30 NIV

Jesus was physically unharmed because God somehow supernaturally protected him, but do you think he wasn't emotionally wounded? These people were his neighbours and friends.

Are you sometimes desperate, or maybe at the end of your rope right now? Jesus understands.

Are you so deeply hurt that you often react negatively? You are constantly misunderstood by others. They can't see or understand the hurts in your soul.

Jesus understands.

Perhaps you are deeply hurt in the church and you no longer want to attend church services. Others look down on you. They judge you because you are so sensitive and seemingly superficial. Jesus understands.

Paul was also misunderstood and cruelly persecuted.

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 2 Cor 11:24–25 NASB95

Paul was imprisoned several times and executed twice.

The first time he was stoned and went to heaven. Then God raised him up and healed him completely. Otherwise he would not have been able to continue his ministry.

Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. … Acts 14:19–20 NIV

Was Paul really dead? Stoning was an execution. If he was only nearly dead, that was a miracle. If he could stand up and walk, when the stones had broken his bones, that too was a miracle. The furious Jews did not throw pebbles.

Did he go to heaven?

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 2 Cor 12:2 NIV

Did Paul testify of his own experience? Many Bible teachers believe so.

The second time he was beheaded and was immediately translated to heaven as a hero of the faith.

Have you sunk into despair? Do you think you can't take any more? Despite everything, Jesus has a good plan for you. Please don't give up.

God's Amazing Protection in Wartime

 1944 was a terrible time in Germany. The war was as good as lost, but the Nazis were still in power. British and American air raids became more and more intense. Day and night, thousands and thousands of civilians lost their lives.

During this traumatic time, a German preacher, Hermann Zaiss, lived in Solingen, a neighbourhood in Wuppertal. He had suffered a lot in his life.

He was a prisoner of war for 4 years during the First World War.  Then he served as an evangelist in Germany, but he was persecuted by the Christians because he was a Pentecostal. Then his wife became mentally ill, chronically psychotic.

His heart was broken. He could no longer bear it. He decided to turn away from God. He still believed, but he told God he wanted nothing more to do with him.

“I told God: ‘If you are alive and have an interest in me and your love for me is so great, then come and get me again after 20 years!’”

He divorced his mentally ill wife, became very successful as an entrepreneur and remarried.

Then came the terrible bombing raids in Germany. Everyone was gripped by panic and despair.

As early as 1939, his wife Clara had found her way to God through prayer for her seriously ill daughter. God had healed her daughter and she begged her husband again and again to resume his ministry and help the suffering people.

On 22 July 1944, exactly 20 years after turning away from God, Hermann and Clara knelt down in the bombed-out Protestant church in Ohligs and prayed: ‘Lord, if you want us back, here we are.’ He received a clear commission from God to preach the gospel boldly and with power.

Schneider, Peter. Lame dancing under the pulpit: signs and wonders in the church services of Hermann Zaiss (German Edition) . Asaph Publishing House. Kindle Edition.

Hermann started a house group and God blessed this small beginning. Many desperate neighbours sought Gods help.

The meetings grew larger. They prayed together and trusted God to protect them from the bombs.

In November 1944, Solingen was bombed and thousands lost their lives. Then Hermann Zaiss heard on the radio that the bombers were on their way to his neighbourhood in Ohligs. He went into the garden and prayed for protection and peace.

Shortly afterwards, he heard again on the radio that the bombers had turned away for no apparent reason.

There were also faithful Christians on the British side who prayed for protection.

Colonel Whittlesey was the commander of a British regiment in the Second World War. He was a Christian. He ordered his soldiers to recite Psalm 91 every day. The regiment was in fierce fighting for five years and not a single man was killed.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Ps 91:7 NIV

If God protected many German civilians from bomb attacks during the war and also saved British soldiers, you can be sure that He can also help you during this time and wants to save you.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. Ps 91:1–3 NLT

God of Impossible Miracles

 Are you at the end of your tether? Is your situation impossible?

When I was 20, I was a student on holiday in Europe. Shortly before my flight back to Australia, I was alone in Rome. Everything was an adventure. I went for a walk and revisited this fascinating old world.

It was afternoon and I reached into my bag. Empty!

Where was my passport? Where was my flight ticket? Where was my vaccination certificate?

I was known to the Australian embassy. I made a phone call. They might be able to help with the passport, but the ticket and the vaccination certificate were problems.

I had to get home somehow, but how and when?

I thought about what I had done so far. I desperately walked back the same way. I visited a café and a shop, and finally I came to a currency exchange office and went to the same cashier who had served me in the morning.

‘Can you help me please? I've lost my passport today.’

She gave me everything back, passport, ticket and vaccination certificate.

God sustains and provides for us, even when we are totally stupid.

But even in much worse situations, God can do the impossible.

I know a woman who was snatched from certain death.

A large car came hurtling from her right side and she faced certain death, but instead of being crushed along with her car, the woman felt a terrible heat and drove on unharmed.

The other car did not crash against her, but drove through her, like in a fantasy film.  

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jer 33:3 NKJV

For with God nothing will be impossible.” Lk 1:37 NKJV

God's Invisible Protection

 I prayed for encouragement and inspiration from God. Then I had an impression in my spirit.

I saw someone walking on a tightrope. I didn't see a safety net, but there was another rope. The tightrope walker was wearing a belt or harness with a strong clasp. Another rope was attached to this  clasp. Somewhere above the tightrope walker, someone held the rope securely. If he fell off the rope, he was held from above.

We have an invisible bodyguard.

I am 75 years old and live in peace and security with my dear wife. We are retired and not sick or impoverished, but troubling storms rage around us.

Two close friends have passed away. People in my close circle of friends and family are asking for prayer because of serious illness.

What can I do? I am just a vulnerable man myself, no longer young.

But I have a mighty, loving God. He answers my prayers and I often see Him intervene in amazing ways.

Some time ago, I was sawing a branch off a small tree with a handsaw. I was leaning against the branch and when it gave way, I fell head first. That was extremely dangerous.

I fell headfirst into a pile of leaves. I tucked my chin in and did a half somersault. I did it instinctively, without thinking. Thank God.

There was hard concrete under the pile of leaves. If I had been a diligent gardener, I might have fallen onto the concrete and broken my skull or injured my spine. A hardworking gardener would have cleared away the dry leaves.

My wife was alarmed. She told me not to move. But I didn't feel any pain. I got up slowly. I had a little blood on one arm, but otherwise I was unharmed.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Ps 34:7 NIV

Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Ps 91:9–11 NRSV

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Ps 34:4 NIV

Angels in your Life

 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Ps 91:11 NIV

Many Christians can sense the presence of the Lord and also the presence of demons, but when you talk about experiences with angels, they become very cautious or critical.
They are afraid of being deceived by devils in disguise.

    They emphasise that it is necessary to distinguish between good and evil spirits, but if you only avoid evil but fail to appreciate the good, your discernment is incomplete and negative.

This is sometimes very understandable because many people in New Age circles seek a spiritual relationship with angels, or pray to angels.

There are good Christians who rightly reject this unbiblical teaching, but then unfortunately do not want to hear about angels.

    They don't even want to begin to celebrate the miraculous promises that speak to us of the constant presence and help of God's angels.

Elisha was not at all nervous or cautious about this.

And Elisha prayed and said: ‘Lord, open his eyes so that he may see!

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Ki 6:17 NIV

My daughter told me when she was eight years old that she had seen an angel.
I have a friend in Germany whose son also saw his guardian angel when he was 8 years old.

When I was preparing to visit Germany, a sister in the church prophetically said she saw a big angel standing behind me, and I believe this strong angel accompanied me in Germany.

    This angel was not just to protect me, because I have my guardian angel like all followers of Jesus, but God had given me another angel to help me in His ministry.

    God does this for all His children who do something for God where special miracle-working power is needed.

The Word of God promises that God will always stand by us and protect us with His invincible power.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.  1 Pe 1:5 NLT

The word for protect is the Greek word PHROUREO, which is a garrison or guard.

For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Ps 34:7 NLT

I am always accompanied by angels, and so are you if you follow Jesus and are active in His ministry by faith.

God does not abandon his children.

You should not be afraid of God's angels, and why should you not recognise and celebrate the presence of angels?

    That is a gift from God.  

But someone will say that emphasising angels would distract us from worshipping God.

This can happen when our relationship with God is very weak, and we seek other sensations.

But if we really love God but talk and think much more about demons than about God's angels, then we are making a very bad mistake.

And that is the situation with many charismatic Christians.
Just as in the story of Elisha, the participation of angels in our lives should be a great encouragement to us.