1 Peter 5:8-9
‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.’
DAILY READING Luke 13:18-35; Genesis 24; Psalm 17
John Hagee is the founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is also the founder of Christians United For Israel[CUFI], and is well known for being outspoken. This outspokenness may have cost him his life, if not for the unshakable faith he had built in Christ.
As a young preacher in 1971, one day he was teaching in a Wednesday night Bible study, when a man walked into the church carrying a loaded gun. The man walked to the front of the church and roared like a wild animal and said, he had come to shoot John Hagee to prove that the devil had power. But John Hagee held up his Bible and said ‘this book says that no weapon formed against me shall prosper.’ The man became infuriated and said, ‘Get on your knees and beg for your life.’
But John Hagee said, ‘I will not because the Lord is my protector.’
And the man said, ‘I’m going to shoot you on the count of three.’ But instead, he started shooting on the count of two. And he emptied the gun at pastor Hagee from a distance of eight to ten feet. However miraculously the man missed every shot. Seeing his gun was empty, he then ran out of the church building, but men in the church ran after him and he was knocked down. He was later arrested by the police and sent to the asylum for the criminally insane. Ninety days later a team of psychiatrists pronounced him okay and ready to take his place in society. But when this man was released and went home, he immediately climbed the highest tree in his backyard and hung himself.
John Hagee only survived this direct attack, because of the strong faith he had built up in God.
1 Peter 5:8-9 says ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.’
Truly faith is the victory that overcomes the world. And faith comes through hearing of God’s Word. The truth is that the battles of life come suddenly, without time for preparation. This is why you must be prepared against the day of battle. When confronted suddenly, what is inside of you is what rises to the fore. In a time of crisis what works is The Word already stored within you. When you spend quality time building up The Word within you, during trials and challenges the Word will rise to give you guidance and grant you victory.
Every believer has the responsibility to go in pursuit of the Word. The Word you are going for may not be the Word you need today necessarily, but it is a Word you will need to access and draw from in the future when faced with a test or trial. When you study your Bible therefore; it should be a deliberate action of making daily withdrawals from the Book of life. It is something you must do consistently, because by so doing you prepare yourself against the day of battle. When challenge arises, there should be strength within you to rise up to the challenge. You don’t have to wait for trouble to come first before you know you are to study The Word, it may be too late then. Life is a warfare and not a fanfare; it is a battle ground and not a playground. Therefore live ready. Build up your faith in advance. Decide today to begin to store The Word in enough quantity so that whenever trouble knocks faith will arise in your heart. And truly, the victory that overcomes the world is our faith.
PRAYER Lord Thank You for the grace for continuous study of Your Word. Through the faith built up in me, I know I am more than a conqueror in every battle of life in Jesus Name.
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When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.