Category: Spiritual Warfare

Testimonies to Strengthen Faith: Trials and Tribulation

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

These video testimonies will strengthen your faith. In times of trials and tribulations, many lessons can be learned from these: hope, endurance, patience, forgiveness and much more, as well as how to be over-comers in these last days.

As Christian believers we’re to look unto Jesus and His finished work on the Cross, as He is the author and perfecter of our faith. We’re not to be afraid of those who want to kill the body; they cannot touch our soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. We don’t put our trust in man, but in God alone. Jesus will give us His peace that surpasses all understanding, and help us to rest in Him amidst the storms. Jesus, our Lord and saviour and soon coming King forewarned us that times of tribulation will come as we’re in the last days: And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved (Matthew 10:22 NLT)

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. (Revelation 12:11)

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones… See, I have warned you about this ahead of time… Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. (Matthew 24:21-22; 25; 29-31 NLT)

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39).

By Lori McPherson

How To Pray For The Unsaved

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How To Pray For The Unsaved…

1. For God to have mercy upon them

2. For God to lift the veil off them and give them revelation of who He is

3. For their hearts to be prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive His truth

4. For their spiritual eyes and ears to be opened

5. For Godly people to come across their pathway each day – who are ready in season and out of season to give their testimony led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit

6. That God would cast down anything in them that’s exalting itself against the knowledge of Him, especially pride and rebellion

7. To take down all known strongholds, thought patterns and opinions that goes against God’s will and Word

8. To bind Satan from taking them captive, and to bind all wicked thoughts and lies Satan will try to place in their mind

9. For their protection, uprooting any traps and snares lay wait for them by Satan and his minions

10. To bring healing and restoration to them mentally, physically and most of all spiritually

11. For God to give them a spirit of repentance and forgiveness (of others)

12. And that they come to know the Lord as their personal Lord and Saviour and soon coming King!

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**How to be saved – The Path To Salvation: HERE

Jesus Said “In The World You Will Have Tribulation”

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“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”
2 Timothy 3:12

Jesus said in John 16:33 “In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world”. He never promised that we would escape tribulation – whether small tribulations or the great one. But He did say that we could overcome even as He overcame. He is far more interested in making us over-comers than in saving us out of tribulation, because He is far more interested in our character than in our comfort. Neither did Jesus ever say that escaping the great tribulation was a reward for faithfulness, as some teach. On the contrary, He said that those who forsook everything to follow Him would have even more tribulations than others who didn’t follow Him (Mark.10:30). When He prayed to His Father for His disciples, He said, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil.” (John.17:15). He did NOT want His disciples to be raptured out of the world at that time, just because they were going to face tribulation.

” Perseverance is a great virtue that is emphasised throughout the New Testament.”
In the 3rd-century when Christians were being thrown to the lions in the Roman amphitheatres and being burnt at the stake in different parts of the Roman empire, the Lord did not rescue them from such tribulations. The God Who shut the lions’ mouths and took away the power of the fiery furnace in Daniel’s day, did NOT do such miracles for these disciples of Jesus – for these were new-covenant Christians who were going to glorify God through death. Like Jesus their Master, they neither asked for, nor expected twelve legions of angels to come and protect them from their enemies. From heaven, God watched the Bride of His Son being torn to pieces by lions and being burnt to ashes; and He was glorified in their testimony – for they had “followed the Lamb, wherever He went”, even unto a violent physical death (Rev.14:4). The only word that the Lord spoke to them was, “Be faithful until death and I will give you a crown of life” (Rev.2:10). Even today, when the disciples of Jesus are being tortured and persecuted for His Name in many lands, the Lord does not take them away from the earth. And He will not rapture us to heaven before the great tribulation either. He will do something far better. He will make us overcomers in the midst of the great tribulation.

Jesus is far more interested in saving us from evil than in saving us from tribulation. He permits us to go through tribulation because He knows that, that is the only way that we can become spiritually strong.

Such a message is strange teaching indeed to a comfort-loving Christendom that has been coddled in their pews every Sunday for years by ear-tickling preachers. But this is the message that the apostles preached to the early churches. “They (the apostles Paul and Barnabas) strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God'” (Acts 14:22).

The little trials that we face at home and at work now, are but a preparation for the greater ones that will come in the days to come. That is why it is essential that we are faithful now. For God says, “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?” (Jer.12:5).  In Revelation Chapter 1:9,10 John refers to himself as a “fellow-partaker in the tribulation which is in Jesus”. Every wholehearted disciple of Jesus should be prepared to partake in the “tribulation which is in Jesus”, as long as he is in this world. John did not get this unveiling while living in comfort. He received it, while experiencing tribulation at Patmos, because he had been faithful to “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Rev.1:9). He had to experience tribulation himself in order to be able to write about the saints experiencing the great tribulation from the Antichrist in the last days. God takes us through trials and tribulations first before giving us a ministry to others who are facing tribulation. Perseverance is a great virtue that is emphasised throughout the New Testament. Jesus Himself said “They will deliver you to tribulation. But the one who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt.24:9,13).

By Zac Poonen © Copyright – Zac Poonen. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author. https://www.cfcindia.com/

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My Testimony – From New Age to Christianity: My Path to Redemption

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I was born and raised in London, England, into a non-religious and a seriously dysfunctional home. Growing up in that environment, I developed a distorted view of life and relationships. From an early age, I had always wanted to travel and experience the world. I believed that all paths led to God, no matter the religion, and that it was simply a personal choice of how you got there. This belief eventually drew me to the New Age movement, which seemed to promise purpose, healing, and truth.

I became deeply involved in practices such as astrology, tarot cards, yoga, and spiritualist teachings. I believed in reincarnation, studied past life regression, and even qualified as a life coach, thinking I was helping others. But in reality, I was the one who was deeply unfulfilled and running wild. I was careless and reckless in my behaviour, mixing with the wrong crowds. On the inside, I was lost, restless, and wounded, masking my pain by chasing after the things society deems as success. Yet, no matter what I did, the emptiness in my heart wouldn’t go away.

Eventually, I hit rock bottom, and my life came crashing down. It descended into chaos—work, relationships, every area of my life fell apart. I became overwhelmed with hopelessness, depression, and despair, feeling like there was no way out. I began having suicidal thoughts, and in a very dark moment, I began contemplating ending my life. At the time, I was staying with my grandmother, who had been praying for me and giving me Bible verses to read. Her prayers had planted seeds in my heart, and I began searching for answers.

That night, Jesus the Christ met me in my brokenness. A warm presence of love and peace flooded my room, and I just knew it was Him. I didn’t need to be told He was the Son of God—I knew. Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The truth of that verse came alive for me that night.

The next morning, everything felt different. Inside, I felt refreshed. The heaviness I had carried for so long was lifted, and I felt hope stirring in my heart.

I began reading the Bible and discovered that Christianity wasn’t about man trying to reach God through religious efforts. I had spent so much time in the New Age movement, thinking that all paths led to the same God and that Jesus was just a good teacher, but I was deceived. It was about God reaching out to us through Jesus Christ, wanting us to be restored so we can have a relationship with Him, the Creator of the universe. I had to face the truth that the practices I had embraced were harmful and part of a deceptive system. Colossians 2:8 warns us not to be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies, and I could see how that had happened to me.

I repented of my sins, renounced my former beliefs, and surrendered my life to Jesus. He wasn’t just saving me from my sin—He was saving me from myself. I discovered that our sin had separated us from a Holy God, and no amount of self-help or religious effort could restore that relationship. But God, in His love, sent His Son to take the penalty for our sin and make a way for us to be reconciled to Him. John 14:6 says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I realised there weren’t many paths to God—there is only one, and it’s through Jesus, the mediator between God and man.

When I gave my life to Jesus, everything changed. The void I had tried to fill with the world was now filled with His love. I asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to live a righteous life. His Word became my guide, His Spirit strengthened me, and His grace gave me peace and purpose. This wasn’t just a change in behaviour—it was a transformation of my heart, and I was now a baptised, born-again believer.

Looking back, I see how God’s kindness and mercy led me to repentance, and I am now walking in the assurance of His love. The Lord had a plan and purpose for my life ordained from the foundations of time, and He has a plan for you too. My life is a testimony of what God can do when someone repents, gives their life to Him, and surrenders to His will. I now know the peace, purpose, and true joy that come from knowing Jesus, and I am so grateful for the new life He has given me.

This was only the beginning of my journey. As I continued to walk with the Lord, I trained and prepared for certain areas of ministry, but God, in His wisdom, closed those doors and lovingly redirected my steps. Through this, He taught me that calling is not about titles or platforms, but about obedience and trust.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Today, my desire is simply to follow wherever He leads. My mission is to share God’s love and nurture faith through the gospel, writing, outreach, and service, as the Holy Spirit directs. I trust that God opens the doors no one can shut and closes the ones that are not His will.

~ Lori 💕

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*How to be saved: The Path To Salvation, please click: HERE / Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger

Prayer for Forgiving Others

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Dear Merciful Lord,

Thank you for your gift of forgiveness. Your only Son loved me enough to come to earth and experience the worst pain imaginable so I could be forgiven. Your mercy flows to me in spite of my faults and failures. Your Word says to “clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14) Help me demonstrate unconditional love today, even to those who hurt me. 

I understand that even though I feel scarred, my emotions don’t have to control my actions. Father, may Your sweet words saturate my mind and direct my thoughts. Help me release the hurt and begin to love as Jesus loves. I want to see my offender through my Savior’s eyes. If I can be forgiven, so can he. I understand there are no levels to your love. We are all your children, and your desire is that none of us should perish.

You teach us to “let the peace that comes from Christ rule in our hearts.” (Colossians 3:15) When I forgive in words, allow your Holy Spirit to fill my heart with peace. I pray this peace that only comes from Jesus will rule in my heart, keeping out doubt and questions. And above all, I am thankful. Not just today, not just this week, but always. Thank you for the reminder, “Always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15) With gratitude I can draw closer to you and let go of unforgiveness. With gratitude I can see the person who caused my pain as a child of the Most High God. Loved and accepted. Help me find the compassion that comes with true forgiveness.

And when I see the person who hurt me, bring this prayer back to my remembrance, so I can take any ungodly thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) And may the confidence of Christ in my heart guide me into the freedom of forgiveness. I praise you for the work you are doing in my life, teaching and perfecting my faith. In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

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By Kristine Brown

This prayer was written by author Kristine Brown from kristinebrown.net and originally appeared on Crosswalk.com