1123 - Deliver Us from Evil#
1123 - Deliver Us from Evil
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Last time we talked about how if you can withstand temptation, the ensuing evil will not come upon you. However, we humans have flesh and can be weak. Unknowingly, we fall into the devil's snare. It's like when we were children, we made bird traps in winter. There was a sieve on top, propped up by something, tied with a rope to a stick. From a distance, we would pull the rope and wait for the birds to come in, watching the sparrows eat the food below. That was a trap.
The birds don’t go directly to eat; they look around first to see if there is danger. One bird flies in, and the others outside hesitate. They want to see if there is a problem inside. When they find there is no danger, all the birds outside fly in to eat together. Who is manipulating all this from the outside? You! When many birds are inside, you pull the rope, and all the birds are trapped. At that moment, the birds realize it’s a trap...
Last time we shared that the devil first gives people a little benefit. When people can't resist and start to eat, the devil pulls the stick, and people fall in. At this point, they need to call on God for rescue.
Before we start sharing, I want to raise two questions for everyone to think about. One is that Christians know God's grace and also know what things should not be done, such as not getting drunk. Some Christians drink for years, and one day they finally have a stroke. Brothers and sisters, should he call on God for healing? Will God heal him? Yes.
Why will God definitely heal him? Some say it’s because we are His children. The Israelites are also God's children. Does God save the Israelites every time? Do their prayers always get answered? No, sometimes God turns away and does not look at them. If He looks at them, He would destroy them all. The Bible mentions two periods of four hundred years. Why did God remain silent and no longer listen to their prayers during those four hundred years? Did the Israelites not pray during those four hundred years? They did pray, but it seems God covered His ears and no longer listened to their prayers.
We are all God's children. We clearly know that some things should not be done, yet we end up doing them due to our desires, and as a result, problems arise, diseases come, disasters occur. We say, "Lord, why is this happening to me?" To whom do we attribute the source of all problems? People think it is God who brings the problems. In reality, if we look at ourselves and the paths we have walked, there are many things that God said should not be done, yet people did them. It’s like the devil set a trap for people, and as a result, they fell in. We cannot say that God specifically scattered something for you to eat, to tempt you, and ultimately cause you to fall in. That’s not it!
The second question is, if a person does evil for many years, and if this person is your neighbor, you see this person and feel angry. When this person gets old, falls ill, and is bedridden, at this time, he asks someone to find you and says, "Can you come to my house and pray for me? I want to believe in your Lord." Would you go? Yes, you would.
I believe God is very pleased with you doing this. Although he has done many evil things, people say that is his retribution, but we know he recognizes himself as a sinner and is willing to repent before Jesus. Therefore, God still wants to save him. Amen! Although he has done many evil things in the past, God still wants to save him. Why? What is the difference between these two cases? Why does God want to save him? Each of us can fall into evil, and it is our Lord who saves us! Delivering us from evil is our God! Although we fell in because of our desires, God still wants to save you!
Sharing the first point: Because of the New Covenant, God will surely save us from evil.
We have a covenant with God, and the Israelites also have a covenant with God, just as God first found Abraham and made a covenant with him.
Temptation does not come from God, and evil is not given by God. What does evil include? It includes wicked people, bad people, pain, malice, disease, and depravity.
We read: You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day. Amen! We should not think of it as the ancient kind of arrows shot from behind; it is not that. These arrows may be hurtful words. But God says: You will not fear the arrow that flies by day. Because God has given you a way to overcome.
Earlier, we talked about God making a covenant with the Israelites because He loved them. God found Abraham and made a covenant with him, which I call the covenant of grace! Is it because Abraham behaved well that God made a covenant with him to bless him? Was his behavior good? We know that at that time, Abraham came from a family of idol sellers. God found Abraham and said: "Abraham, you must leave your country, your people, and your father's house, and go to the place I will show you. I will bless you and make you a great nation. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse." Hallelujah!
Did Abraham receive this blessing only after his behavior improved? Of course not! It is because God was willing to make a covenant with him. More importantly, Abraham listened to God's words and truly believed and acted on them. Amen! Therefore, this blessing came upon Abraham!
When the Israelites became slaves in Egypt, for four hundred years, they struggled under the whip. They cried out to God, and God rescued them, not because this group of people behaved well, but because He remembered the covenant made with Abraham.
Exodus 6:2-5:
God spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, the Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant."
Verses 7-8: "I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord."
In all these matters, God continuously communicated His best intentions to the Israelites, saying, "I want to save you. I want you to be My people. I want to make a covenant with you. I want to remember My covenant!" What was the Israelites' reaction? Did you read it? Exodus 6:9: Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.
The Israelites had no faith, and their behavior was also very poor, yet God still firmly promised them. God was not executing a covenant with these people but with their ancestor Abraham. Therefore, God saved them not because of their behavior but because of the covenant made with Abraham. Amen! Thank the Lord!
We share that God saves us from evil. Why does God save you? I just mentioned two examples, two questions. When you think about them, you will know that God saves us from evil because of the blood covenant made with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! God saves you from all kinds of evil, which may be caused by yourself, but God still says He will save you. The reason is that Jesus is our mediator with God. We have a covenant with God, and that covenant is the new covenant established by the precious blood of Jesus.
Luke 22:19-20:
And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, after the supper, He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you."
Jesus established a covenant with us at the end. When you see this grape juice, this is the blood of Christ. The blood flows out like this; this is the covenant made with us. Hallelujah!
Hebrews 8:10-11:
The Lord says, "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest."
What time? It is the new covenant made with us by Jesus Christ, after that time. Amen! I will put My laws in their minds; this law is not the Ten Commandments but the law of love of Jesus Christ, the law of the Holy Spirit. He has placed a higher covenant within us, which is the covenant of love.
Everything is done by God! God firmly fulfills the contents of His covenant. The covenant we have with Jesus Christ is a blood covenant. They do not need to teach their neighbor or brother, saying, "You should know the Lord," because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Today, when we know the Lord Jesus, this is the content we tell the world: God no longer remembers your sins because Jesus Christ has borne your sins. You should come to God through Jesus Christ and receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
We can draw God's blessings from God. We need to tell the world that you are not under the law, not under God's wrath, and you do not need to fear God anymore. He is now pleased with you. He has sworn to us that He will no longer be angry with us. Hallelujah! This is the true gospel.
No matter what reason you fell into the snare, you must be sure that God will surely save you! The reason God saves you is not because your behavior is better than others. It is because of the covenant made with Jesus Christ. In the past, each of us was under wrath, under the law. Whenever we made a mistake, discipline would come, and punishment would come. But because you have accepted Jesus Christ, He has paid the price for your sins and given you the gift of righteousness. God no longer remembers your sins. Amen!
It is not that God has lowered His standards, but that someone has borne the burden for you. When you are sick, you must be sure that God will definitely heal you! Why will God definitely heal you? Because before Jesus went to the cross, He was beaten. By His stripes, you are healed.
If you feel very anxious and sometimes find fault with everyone, and your temper is getting worse, you should think about why Jesus was humiliated, slandered, spat upon, and mocked. He endured all this so that you could have His peace. He bore all this for us, placing all our sins upon Himself. Finally, He died on the cross to accomplish that we may receive God's blessings. When Jesus said, "It is finished," it was because He fulfilled all the righteousness required by the law. Therefore, today we can boldly come before God to receive blessings. All this is because Jesus Christ exchanged His life for us. Thank the Lord!
You pray to God, saying, "Lord, I am not heard because of my good behavior, but because of Jesus' good behavior, His righteousness is now my righteousness."
All of us are clothed in Jesus Christ. No matter what problems you encounter, when you pray to God, you must know that God sees you through Christ. Our Heavenly Father delights in the Lord Jesus. Our God sees Jesus as precious, so God sees you the same way.
Even if we are hurt because of our desires, God will still heal you. Let me give you a simple example so that you can understand. Once, I had just finished cooking at home and placed the food on the table. The food was very hot. At that moment, my wife told our daughter, "Don't put your hand in; it will burn you." But the little one didn’t listen and put her hand in, and it got burned...
If such a problem arises, how should parents react? They wouldn’t ask her why she touched it; they wouldn’t get angry with her. Instead, they would quickly take care of the child's burned hand and take her to the hospital for treatment. If we treat our children this way, how will our Heavenly Father treat us? Even if you accidentally fall into a snare, God will not stand by and say, "I told you not to come here; look, now you’ve fallen in; suffer by yourself." No, our Heavenly Father will not watch you like that. He will come to rescue you and heal you, just as He would treat your child, because He does not look at your behavior but at the behavior of Jesus Christ.
God heals and listens to your prayers because of the covenant made with Jesus Christ. He is our mediator with God. When you read Psalm 91, although God dwells in the highest place, He wants to tell you that He is your refuge, your fortress, your God, and whom you trust. He will surely save you from the snare of the fowler. We believe God is indeed like this; it is not because of my good behavior that God saves us and heals us, but because of Jesus Christ, who is willing to save us. Hallelujah!
Thank and praise the Lord! You should often meditate on such scriptures; God loves you. He will cover you with His feathers, and you should take refuge under His wings. The question is whether we are willing to take refuge under His wings. If you are willing, God will surely protect you! So you must believe that God will surely save you from all kinds of evil.
As we just discussed, it is a bad thing for a person to fall into a snare, but this is not something God gives. I have been to some churches, and some people are already suffering from illness. They say, "Thank God, it is God who is testing me to make me stronger." Do you think such an answer is correct? Would you intentionally set a trap in your home to see if your child would fall into it?
The Bible says: Do not be afraid, for I am with you! There are 365 such phrases in the entire Bible: Do not be afraid, for I am with you! Why mention such a number? 365 is exactly the number of days in a year. God wants to tell you that every day of the year, you should not be afraid because I am with you! Even if evil comes upon you, you still should not be afraid because I am with you!
David said in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me! Your rod and your staff, they comfort me!"
Do not think that the valley is a good place; it is a very terrible place, the lowest point in life. In such a situation, David still said, "Lord, I thank You. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear because I know You have never left me alone to bear it."
Let me tell a story from the Bible. In 1 Kings 20, there is a story about King Ben-Hadad of Aram gathering his entire army and leading thirty-two kings to besiege the city of Samaria.
In 1 Kings 20:13, a prophet came to see the Israelite king Ahab and said, "This is what the Lord says: Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and you will know that I am the Lord."
Thirty-two kings, such a large army, surrounded the entire city of Samaria like a barrel. God gave this king a word: "Do not be afraid; do you see this group of people? Today I will hand them over to you." The Bible mentions that this king personally went into battle with seven thousand men and defeated all the armies besieging the city. Hallelujah!
Was it the king's ability? No, it was because God was with him! The servants of the Aramean king said, "This time we have learned our lesson." What did they conclude? They concluded something ridiculous: they said it was because the God of Israel is a mountain god, and Samaria is built on a mountain. This defeat was due to the geographical disadvantage. If we fought in the plains, we would surely defeat them.
God told King Ahab: "Although you won this time, they will come again in a year." The second time, do you know who won? The second time, in the plains, with nothing, they still gathered more troops to suppress the Israelites and kill them all. As a result, they lost terribly in the plains. Our God is not high above, sitting in heaven. I rarely pray using such terms, saying, "O God who sits on the highest throne..."
I rarely pray like that, not because I cannot use those words, but because when I say it, I feel God is very far away! You see, in the highest place... The Bible says that God is not only the God of the mountain but also the God of the valley. Amen! Today, in the plains, God is still God! In the valley, He is still God! So, there is no place under heaven where you cannot find God. He is in your heart, He is in the depths of the sea, and He is in the highest place. He fills the entire world; this is our God!
No matter where you are, God is with you! Even if you are in evil, God is still with you! He will surely save you! He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. So do not be afraid! Amen! The Bible says: You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, it will not come near you!
God has set boundaries for the sea. When you read the book of Job, God says: "I set boundaries for the waves of the sea." No matter how high the waves rise, when they reach the boundary, they must retreat. So, even if you see these disasters and diseases with your own eyes, they will not harm you.
Our church has had such testimonies. When someone first believed in the Lord, they said they really did not know how great God's power was because they had never seen it. I said, "That's okay; keep praying, and you will surely see miracles happen in your life." She was in business, and there was a big sign at the entrance, made of iron frames, pressed down by stones; otherwise, it would be blown over by the wind.
One day, when she went out, there was a huge wind. The wind blew the big sign from someone else's house toward her. At that speed, she didn’t even have time to run away. She watched the big sign flying toward her and said two words, "Lord!" A miracle really happened; the sign seemed to be stuck by something and stopped right beside her, remaining still, even though the wind did not stop. She said that at that moment, it looked just like in the movies when Superman stands still. The posture she made was instinctive. After that incident, she truly knew that prayer has such great power. Hallelujah!
Even if you see such snares, they will not come near you because the words you speak have power. Jesus calmed the wind and waves because of the words He spoke: "Shalom, be still," and the wind became calm. It is that simple. Even if you are in evil and suffering, God has not left you; He is with you! He will cover you with His feathers. You should take refuge under His wings and be willing to go in. The Lord is your refuge; He has made the Most High your dwelling place.
Sharing the second point: God is with you; no weapon forged against you will prevail.
In the Old Testament, there is a story about God wanting to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan. There was a much shorter route, but God did not let them take it; instead, He led them on a rugged mountain path. Although it was a mountain road, God was with them every day, and miracles appeared every day. God's salvation was continuously manifested. The first generation of Israelites died, and the second generation crossed the Jordan River to enter the promised land. They were very happy to enter Canaan, but they had to pass through many territories.
Many other tribes lived there. When they reached the territory of the Amorite king Sihon, Moses was leading them. At that time, Moses asked Sihon, "Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into your fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from your well. We will travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."
The king said no. If he said no, that was fine, but King Sihon actually mobilized his army to fight against the Israelites. We can think about this issue; perhaps at that time, this king underestimated the Israelites, thinking they were a group of people without combat power. As a result, this king failed because God helped the Israelites!
As I just mentioned, although the journey was difficult, there was a characteristic: God was always with them! This king failed, and they passed through that territory. When they reached another place, they encountered another king named Og, which means "bad news." Moses still negotiated with this king, asking to pass through his territory, to drink water and pay, not to touch anything of theirs, not to ruin their crops. This king said no again and mobilized his army to fight against the Israelites, and as a result, he failed.
Why did both of these kings lose? Because they only saw a group of people without power and did not see the One behind them, the God who never fails. Although they were weak, God was powerful. They were not fighting on their own; God was fighting for them. After Og's defeat, the Israelites continued forward to another place called Balak, in the plains of Moab. When the Moabite king Balak heard that the previous two kings had failed, if you were that king, what would you do? You would let them pass; they are not settling here.
This king might be very stubborn and fail to see anything special about this group of people. So he hired a very famous sorcerer named Balaam. Balak thought Balaam was very powerful; whoever he cursed would be cursed. He invited Balaam to curse the Israelites and offered him a lot of wealth. Balaam saw the money and was tempted, but he did not realize that this time the opponent was God. Can God be cursed by a prophet? So Balaam was destined to fail.
Thank the Lord! You are God's children; no fortune-telling, witchcraft, or curses can harm you because there is no one in this world who can curse our God, and no witchcraft can curse our God! We are His children, so their curses have no effect on us.
Balak was secretly doing such things, but God knows everything. After Balaam went up the mountain, he built seven altars, preparing to curse this group of people. As a result, God turned his mouth around, and he began to bless this group of people. How beautiful these people are! They are not just ordinary people; they are a people set apart, not counted among the nations. What was originally a curse turned into a blessing. We always say that when God is with you, when the enemy wants to curse you, God will turn that into your blessing.
Balaam was not discouraged and said there was a problem with this place; he changed locations, thinking the feng shui was bad, and tried to curse them again. He went to another place, built seven altars again, and wanted to curse them. God once again turned his mouth around and turned the curse into a blessing. At this time, Balak said, "What are you doing? I hired you to curse them, but why do you bless them twice?" Balaam said, "Let me try another place." He changed places three times, but he could not succeed in cursing them.
So do not believe that this place is cursed or that this place has bad feng shui, while that place is good and will surely make money in business. It is not like that. No matter where you are, as long as God is with you, any curse has no effect on you. Hallelujah!
Because the Bible says: No weapon forged against you will prevail. This is our Lord! When you understand that the God you believe in is such a God, your heart will be joyful, and you will have confidence in facing all the problems you encounter because my God is with me! He will surely help me! Because He will command His angels to guard me in all my ways. God has told me; He will rescue me because I know His name. Do you know our God's name? Jesus Christ!
What you believe in is not just a name; it includes all of God's blessings. Because Jesus Christ is beloved by God, you are also beloved by God because God has always been with Jesus! God has always been with you! Even if your behavior is very poor, God does not bless you based on your behavior but because of Jesus Christ. When you understand these blessings, your behavior will change!
Let’s look at a real-life example. How much do you know about Israel? If you look at Israeli history, you can see that for nearly four thousand years, they have been attacked by others, until two thousand years ago when this country was completely destroyed.
In 70 AD, after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, they had no place to worship. From that time on, the Israelites were scattered all over the world. After nearly two thousand years, they miraculously restored their nation. Many historians believe that a country that has been destroyed for five hundred years has no chance of restoration, but they miraculously restored their nation.
After they restored their nation, there were many wars in between, yet they still exist and are advanced in many fields. It is because God is with them! Although they have not fully accepted Jesus yet, they still have a covenant with God, and God will continue to protect the descendants of Abraham.
We live under the grace of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. God does not bless you because of your good behavior but because you believe in Jesus Christ. Everything He has done is for you, and you can receive this grace. Last time we shared, what is grace? It is receiving what we do not deserve; that is called grace! Because God is with you! Those who attack you, God will turn them around, and it will become beneficial for you. Thank the Lord!
The Israelites, even when they did not have a nation, contributed many inventions and wonderful things to the world. Why are they so smart? It is the wisdom given by God!
Brothers and sisters, let this God govern your life. He can give you wisdom to do better in your work. No matter where you go, God will be with you. Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, will be with us forever, until the end of the world!
Thank the Lord! Hallelujah! You should see the God who blesses you behind the scenes. You should see that the most powerful God in the world is with you. Peace belongs to you! Joy belongs to you! Because Jesus Christ has paid the price, now you can receive God's blessings freely.
Do not doubt; Jesus Christ has paid the price for your diseases. You should receive healing by faith. Health also belongs to you. You should see the God who supports you every day behind the scenes! No one has the right to curse you. He says: "When you are in great difficulty, I will be with you. I will rescue you and honor you." God promises us that He will satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation.
When you fall into difficulties, God's salvation will be manifested in you. Suffering is not given by God, but God can turn suffering into something beneficial for you. You will see God's glory, just like Daniel, when he was thrown into the lion's den. The lion's den is a place of evil, a terrible environment. As a result, God shut the mouths of the lions in such a dangerous environment, and the lions could not open their mouths; they just sniffed.
God was able to save Daniel, and today He can still save you. God changed Daniel's environment. His three friends were safe in the fiery furnace. God can save Daniel in the lion's den, and He can still save you. You should have faith and look up to His power. Do not lose heart in the face of your environment. You know He is with you and will surely lead you to overcome all circumstances. Hallelujah!