1 John 4:4 ‘Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’

DAILY READING; John 6:1-21; 1 Chronicles 22:2-23:32; Zechariah9

Open Doors is an international organization that supports persecuted Christians. Recently they released their 2021 World Watch List, documenting 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.

This new report says that 309 million Christians today live in places with very high or extreme levels of persecution.
The report reveals that every single day, an average of 13 Christians are murdered for their faith while 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked.

North Korea has continued to rank No. 1 as the most oppressive country since 2002 when the watch list began.

Last year, 91% of the total number of Christians killed for their faiith occurred in African countries like Nigeria.
According to the report, abduction of Christians in Africa rose by 63 percent with Nigeria toppinng the list.

Pakistan had the highest number of forced marriages, with about 1,000 Christians forced to marry non-Christians against their will.
Overall Asian countries accounted for 72 percent of all forced marriages worldwide.
The remaining 28 percent was in Africa and Nigeria headed the list.

Last year, out of a total of 4,277 Christians unlawfully jailed worldwide,
China topped the list. The Chinese government arrested, jailed, or detained without charge a total of 1,147 Christians for faith-related reasons.

However, despite all this despondent news, this is what the president and CEO of Open Doors USA, Mr. David Curry, stated “The numbers of God’s people who are suffering should mean the Church is dying, but that’s not what’s happening. Instead, in living color, we see the Words of God recorded by the prophet Isaiah: ‘I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert’” (Isa. 43:19, ESV).

Indeed despite the persecutions, God continues to build His Church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

While persecution may be on the rise in these perilous last days, it is God’s plan for His people to triumph always.
It is not His will for us to become cheap victims of the enemy.

Through the Blood of Jesus, God has made provision for our divine protection and deliverance.

Jesus paid a great price at the cross to ensure our divine security and guarantee our victory over every harassment of the enemy.

Revelation 12:11 says ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.’

At the Cross, Jesus conquered hell, death and the grave.
The same blood of a winner and conqueror in Him flows through us today.

Through redemption, we have divine ability to win in all and every battle that comes against us. We are born of God, and whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

However revelation is what guarantees our triumph in life.
While Jesus has made tremendous power available through His Blood, we need a personal understanding to fully appropriate this power.

Despite the troubling reports of persecutions, we have to understand that there is One dwelling in us who is greater than the world. [1 John 4:4].
This greater One in us is the Lord, mighty in battle, against whom no gate of hell can prevail.
Knowing that this God is with us, infuses in us the faith and confidence to overcome every adverse situation.

All the heroes mentioned in Hebrews 11 overcame in battle through their faith in God.

Likewise, through study of God’s Word, we can acquire the faith to overcome the persecutions of these last days.
Lack of knowledge is why people perish. But they that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

It is our decision to take spiritual responsibility to seek the truth that sets free.The price has been paid at the Cross therefore affliction cannot arise a second time in any area of your life.
God has given us the power to overcome sickness, poverty, family crisis and every harassment of the enemy.
Let us therefore today, begin to engage the Blood in battle, to establish our victory over every affliction and persecutions of the enemy in these last perilous days.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the power in the Blood of Jesus. Today I receive the grace for indepth study of the Word, so that I can know how to fully engage the power in the Blood to overcome in every area of my life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained a victorious end for you. WORDBITE 222