Embark on a spiritual odyssey with us, as we confront the trials and temptations of this world with the indomitable power of God's presence within us. Grappling with life's adversities can feel overwhelming, but we'll uncover how 1 John 4:4 illuminates a path to triumph by harnessing our faith and the collective strength of our God-given family. Throughout this conversation, we'll reveal the empowering message of hope and resilience that comes from embracing the Almighty's might over any challenge we encounter. We'll also share a heartfelt prayer, seeking guidance and wisdom in understanding God's sovereignty and the tools He has provided for our spiritual journey.
In the fierce battle against darkness, we arm ourselves with the spiritual armor detailed in Ephesians 6:14-17—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. This episode delves into how these virtues, along with the teachings of John 16:33, fortify us against sin and vice. By accepting Jesus into our hearts and engaging in sincere prayer, we equip ourselves to recognize and resist the enemy's deceptions. Discover how the scriptures can be a beacon of light, guiding us through life's tumultuous seas, as we invite those seeking solace or a renewal of faith to open their hearts to God's transformative presence and unwavering support.
Embark on a spiritual odyssey with us, as we confront the trials and temptations of this world with the indomitable power of God's presence within us. Grappling with life's adversities can feel overwhelming, but we'll uncover how 1 John 4:4 illuminates a path to triumph by harnessing our faith and the collective strength of our God-given family. Throughout this conversation, we'll reveal the empowering message of hope and resilience that comes from embracing the Almighty's might over any challenge we encounter. We'll also share a heartfelt prayer, seeking guidance and wisdom in understanding God's sovereignty and the tools He has provided for our spiritual journey.
In the fierce battle against darkness, we arm ourselves with the spiritual armor detailed in Ephesians 6:14-17—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. This episode delves into how these virtues, along with the teachings of John 16:33, fortify us against sin and vice. By accepting Jesus into our hearts and engaging in sincere prayer, we equip ourselves to recognize and resist the enemy's deceptions. Discover how the scriptures can be a beacon of light, guiding us through life's tumultuous seas, as we invite those seeking solace or a renewal of faith to open their hearts to God's transformative presence and unwavering support.
Today we're going to be talking about how God is greater in us than what the world has to offer. Welcome to all my new listeners and welcome back to all my followers. Without you, we wouldn't be as far as we are. This podcast channel and ministry covers the love of Jesus Christ through Scripture. My name is John and I'm honored to be your host. This is Season 1, episode 10,. Greater Is he.
Jon:How many times have you heard the phrase from someone that God is good or something along the lines about the armor of God or something like that? Maybe it was in a movie, a show, a song or just a passing reference. But what if I told you that God has conquered this world and given us the tools to be able to fight back our spiritual battles? Also, as a side note, I also want to mention that throughout the course of this episode, I will be opening up a raffle for a free Isaiah 3021 sweatshirt from our store. It's going to be in the instruction, so make sure that you listen to the full episode to be able to get the instructions on how to be able to participate. It's going to follow the message. Let's dive right on in and learn how to understand and utilize the tools that God has given us through Scripture.
Jon:But before we begin, let's say a quick prayer Now as we pray. If you're driving, please be careful. If you want to bow your heads and just listen and pray along in your mind or out loud, I always welcome it. But I want to say I want to enter into this with a sense of reverence. We're going to be talking about the Word of God and that's not just something lightly that somebody talks about like casual dinner conversation. So let's just jump right into it and let's pray so we can ask our Father for the guidance that we need. So here we are, father. We come to you humbled and in awe of you. Your grace and will is perfect, lord, and we seek to follow you. Father, as I begin this message today, I pray that you guide my words so that others may not hear me, but to feel you, I pray that the Holy Spirit rises in all who listen so that they may feel the presence of you. Lord and Lord, if someone is listening and is ill, god, I ask that you grant them healing If they are at unrest. Lord, we know that your word says for us to bring you our burdens and you will grant us rest, father, help us understand your message as we acknowledge your sovereignty in our lives and on earth. We come to you, lord, thirsty for you. God, let your word slake our thirst for you. God, as we travel the desert of our problems and down the winding roads this world has for us, and although our armor has been beaten and is worn and torn, lord, you grant us refuge and renew our strength. For you, make all things new, god. Give in us and renew our spirits, o Lord, for we believe in your wonders. God, thank you In Jesus' name. In Jesus' holy name, I pray amen.
Jon:Now let's get to it, jumping out of the gates into Scripture and praying for God to help us understand this week's message. When we encounter issues or adversity in life, when sin is rampant, the Bible teaches us to cling to God for guidance. Our God doesn't just offer us salvation. His works is also instructions and a manuscript on how to approach the world. Now I need everyone to listen to me carefully and understand that in this episode, you're going to hear the phrase the world and the word he a lot. It's important to understand that the world is referring to the enemy and everything he is shoving in our face daily to keep our focus off of God, and he can be referring to either God or the enemy. So it's important to listen carefully, to follow along the message, to not get confused of what I'm speaking of. I'm going to do my best to make sure that I'm clear and I'm going to try to elaborate in every single time that I'm going over it. So just keep with me and stick through it, and I know we're going to get through this message together. So we're jumping right in.
Jon:In Scripture it says that in 1 John, chapter 4, verse 4, you, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in this world. Now it says I'm going to repeat this again he who is in you is greater. This is talking about God. This is referring to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit who is inside of us, then he, then the he who is in this world, and this is talking about the enemy. So we're going to break down this verse because there's just so much to it. When we really break it down, it's two sentences long, but yet there's so much that comes from this.
Jon:Now this verse starts out with the apostle John speaking to us as God's children, reassuring us that we were made in God's image and that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. This is important because, as Christians, we need to lean on each other from time to time when things get rough or when we just need help from each other, as you would offer this help to your own siblings or family members. The world too often is seeking to divide us and to turn us against each other, and this is not without purpose. The enemy is doing this for good reason, because if we stand united in God as the body of Christ, on His foundation, we would become a nation that can't fall because His rock will not be shaken. So then it proceeds in this verse to talk about overcoming. And when we seek God and we turn to Him, his strength begins when ours fails. He knows no failure, and when he sent His Son, jesus Christ, to earth, he was perfect and overcame all the sin of the world so that we would be saved from eternal damnation and suffering. John 12, verse 25, goes to explain the one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Jon:I know I caught some of y'all's attention in that phrase. I think I heard someone through my headphones saying what Stay with me, I'm going to go through it, alright. This verse refers to sin and sacrifice. I heard so many people say that if I enjoy it, right, if I'm doing something in this life and I enjoy it, then I'm going to do it because that's what God wants for me. He wants me to enjoy my life. He wants me to be happy. He wants all of us to be happy. And although this is technically accurate, there is a stipulation to this. God wants us to love our sacrifice to Him in this life and not to fall in love with the sin of this world. For those who live in love of sin or in love for sin, they will surely lose their souls. And to the ones who love to sacrifice for God, you may not have all the riches this world has to offer, but you will have eternal life with the Father in heaven, where the absolute, most wonderful and true riches are, so greater is he?
Jon:And you ask who I'm talking about God here, who is in you with the fire of the Holy Spirit, to guide us here on our short time on earth. And let's face it, guys, what is the average lifespan of 100 years? Well, it's really 80, but I'm giving us the benefit of the doubt that we're going to live to 100 years old here. So what is the average lifetime of 100 years of age compared to eternity? I don't even think the word short encompasses the true definition of the comparison of that length.
Jon:See, god fills your heart with the Holy Spirit who has guided all the people of the Bible to do God's wonders. The Holy Spirit was in Moses as he split the Red Sea. With God's wonders working through Him, god gave Ezekiel command and with the Holy Spirit he spoke life into bones. And the Holy Spirit helped Jesus Christ while he was here on earth in His ministry. This same spirit lives in us when we accept Jesus into our hearts and acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior. And you ask what did he save us from? Well, ourselves, really.
Jon:Our flesh, is riddled with sin. I'm talking about our body, our body, what we crave. It's riddled and full of sin. And where sin exists, god cannot exist. This is why Jesus came to earth and died on the cross and rose three days later. He took the burden of all the sins, of everyone who was and is to come and shouldered it on the cross. His blood that was spilled on that day cleanses us of our sins, washing us anew. Praise be His name. And in Galatians 2, verse 20, it says I am crucified with Christ, as it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Do you understand this? Do you understand that the love that God has for us, that for us to walk confidently in faith, we need to give up? What is this? Give up everything that this world is offering us and try to be more like Jesus, praising and understanding the sacrifices he made for not just you, but for all of us.
Jon:So let's stop for a second, and I want to take a moment, and I want this. I want you to really participate in this exercise here. Okay, let's paint a picture in our minds, let's use our imagination, and I want you to picture. The first thing I want you to do is I want you to find someone in your mind, the first person that comes to your mind that you would say that you love the most. I know you shouldn't be comparing you should love everyone equally but right now, let's just bear with me. Find somebody in your mind that you love the most.
Jon:Now that you have that person in your mind, okay, and you love them more than anything in this world, I want you to imagine taking them, grabbing their hand and walking them into the arms of a group of people that you know and you knew beforehand. But you're walking towards them and you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were going to torture, beat, jeer and spit in their face of the person that you love, leading ultimately to them making them go through a slow and humiliating death, all the while that someone looks at them. That someone that you're thinking of looks at those same people with nothing but loving eyes and asks you. They turn around and they look at you and they say why have you forsaken me? And in the same breath that he's saying that or she's saying that they ask you to love and forgive the people who are persecuting them because they are ignorant of what they are doing. And if you're a parent, imagine putting your son in that situation, what would that make you feel?
Jon:Maybe during Jesus' crucifixion, jesus knew that his unconditional love for us would lead him to shoulder the burdens of this world so that we would be able to live on. And in Isaiah 53, chapter 7, this kills me when I think about it, because as I'm going down this path guys, I'm veering off a little bit for just a moment as I'm going down this path of learning and reading and studying about Christ, I can't help but to be falling in love with him more and more. And in this book of Isaiah, in chapter 53, verse 7, it says he, and that's Jesus, the Lamb of God. It says that he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb, led to slaughter and like a sheep, silent before her shears, he never said a word. God went through all of this for us without ever one complaint being uttered from his lips. He took the pain, the physical pain and the burdens that we put on him, for us, without ever uttering a word. Now, imagine what kind of love that is To be able to take all that and not say a word against the people who are persecuting you.
Jon:The Lamb of God, jesus Christ was beaten, bruised and tortured with whips cat nine tails and those are whips with multiple strands that have metal hooks and glass tied to the end to cut and scourge the body. As the whip hits the body, sometimes it hooks and it rips away as they're pulling the whip back for the next blow. And they didn't do this one time. They did it over and over and over again. And when Jesus' body was so weak that he fell down, he couldn't quite keep up. While his hands were chained to a stump, they untied one hand, flipped him over and began to whip his front side of his body. And when Jesus was freshly wounded from all the torture and the beatings, they fashioned a crown that was too small for his head, and yet they forced it onto his head so that the crown would drive deep into his head, causing him to bleed even further, and then wrapped a cloth around him so that the wounds that were freshly opened would dry onto the cloth, to later be ripped and reopened right before his crucifixion, right off of his skin, so that he can experience a pain all over again and again.
Jon:Yet he did not say a word, his only words that are impactful to what I'm trying to say here, while he was going through the crucifixion, was God, why have you forsaken me? And then he goes to repeat or to say God, forgive them, for they know not what they do. As they were nailing him to the cross, he was feeling the pain of a hammer and a nail being driven through his body into wood, and he suffered all these atrocities for us again, because he knew that this would cleanse us of our sins. And in the book of revelations, chapter 21, verse five, jesus says Behold, I am making all things new. This strength, fortitude, holiness and love lives inside of us as we follow God and all we do here on earth. Jesus never lied, cheated, stole from anyone or committed any wrongdoings. In his entire life he was perfect, a perfect lamb in every way. He had no sin about him. Yet he still willingly laid down his life for us With a show of hands.
Jon:Or well, I can't see you guys. You know jokes on me, but how many of us fight back daily for even the smallest of slights against us? You can be driving down the road, somebody cuts you off and you start screaming with road rage. Someone says something they don't like to you or you don't like to you and you start talking back to them. You can curse, you can have hate in your heart, you can have jealousy, envy, you can be the subject of pride.
Jon:So we go back to the book of John here in chapter 16, verse 33. That says these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulations, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world and it's important to understand that part. Right there it says in the world you will have tribulations, in the enemy you will have tribulations. Just because you follow Christ, that doesn't mean the tribulations aren't coming, people. That doesn't mean that you're not going to experience hardships. It's important to remember because it's going to. The word of God is going to gear us towards that, and we're going to talk a little bit more about that as we continue to go on. So I want to say amen for God. You are so good to us.
Jon:God overcame death, prosecution, addiction, hate, malice lives, thievery and adultery. He overcame all the evil and sin that is of this world. And remember that. Jesus said that in the world you will have again tribulations. And that is because the he and I'm talking about the devil. Here I'm talking about Satan. God rebuke him in Jesus' name. He says he the enemy who is of this world. And in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 4, it says the God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ. The God of this age, as stated in this verse, is referring to Satan, or the enemy, and again, may God rebuke him, for he is a deceiver looking to blind you with sin so you can remain lost and not see God's forgiving and saving light. See, god's word brings glory and guidance and instruction and ultimately leads us to Jesus. It leads us to the Father through Jesus. And just so everyone is aware you're going to experience the wrongdoings and the attacks of the enemy, but rest assured that there will be judgment in the end. Justice will be done on our behalf. For in John, chapter 12, verse 31, it says that the time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.
Jon:And I ask you, what does this world have to offer guys? Vanity, money, lust, maybe gambling or drugs? I know there's a lot of oppression going on out there. There's a lot of division, there's a lot of hate and racism and sexual immorality. This is where we need to stop, guys. We need to stop and look into our own lives and inspect our surroundings, leaning into God's words and understanding that these are the things that blind us from God's good works. And if only what I had mentioned earlier here was a whole list. But it just goes on and on. There's sin everywhere and it's consistently blinding us.
Jon:But again, rest easy, guys, because God knew that we would face these perilous trials. He knew that we would be in a spiritual battle here on earth. In his words, he showed us that he has sent us tools to fight the enemy and to not let him devour us whole. In accepting Jesus into our hearts and seeking him earnestly, we learn two things. First, jesus is the man I mean that literally, but more importantly, the struggles you are facing. He has already overcome them. And the second thing is the words that he came to earth, that Jesus Christ came to earth to impart and to teach us, lead us to learning on how to equip the armor of God and become the spiritual warriors that we were meant to be.
Jon:In Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 14 through 17. It says Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with a breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil. One Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. So, as we walk in Christ, it's important that we remember some of the key values To be truthful in all things, be righteous in all aspects of life, find peace in God's grace, have faith in his timing and for his deliverance, and know that the spirit of God will never leave you unarmed. To bind yourself to the word of God so that you have something to fight back with.
Jon:Not only does God's love give us eternal life and salvation, but he gives us these tools to combat the world. We follow him through the fire, for he has overcome the enemy and his tricks, and through him you too can overcome your problems. And all these sin and all these problems. They've all been tactfully placed by the enemy to bring you down, to make you question your commitment and the love that God has to you and you to him. Oh God, I say my God, I can't do this on my own. You have overcome all this, lord. Teach me, oh God, adorn my heart, adorn my heart's halls with your presence and have your way in me. I surrender all I hold dear to you, lord. Take it all. So long as I have you by my side, I too will overcome Jesus. You are my salvation and through you, lord, I have faith in your deliverance. Thank you for saving me from my sin. Thank you, god, for pulling my soul from the maul of eternal damnation. For what does this world have to offer that you cannot give? If you so, will it, lord? I trust in your timing and I will follow you, lord, amen.
Jon:The enemy knows that we're fallible. He knows what we like and, similar to an addict, our flesh craves sin. We're attracted to it like moths to a flame. And he knows this. He offers sin served up on a silver platter, easy for the taking, bedazzled with a glitzened glam. He knows, calls our attention, seeing full well that the light gleaming off of that fake treasure is blinding us from the true treasures God has in store for us. He revels. The devil revels in his deceit, knowing that where sin is, god cannot be. So we stop and give thanks to God every day for giving us his son in this famous verse in the scripture of John, 3.16.
Jon:It says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And Jesus goes further into saying, through John, chapter 14, verse 6, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Acknowledging Jesus and accepting him into our hearts starts our transformation. He takes us and molds us through his words, removing all the parts that are rotten and that don't belong, that are full of sin, because his house, his home in your heart has to be clean. And the gospel helps us to understand the pitfalls that the enemy is setting before us and it also teaches us how to don the armor of God. And we're going to go back here to Ephesians, chapter 6, and we're going to actually start from a little bit early on, in verses 10 through 13.
Jon:It says finally be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that, when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after you have done everything to stand, we pray to remain patient in your will and with a complete armor of God. Your hearts beat for you, knowing that nothing this world has to offer can bring us down, so long as we seek our refuge in you. For greater is your power, god, greater is your love, grander is your forgiveness, and greater are you and us than he who is in this world. Give God your praise. My brothers and sisters, worship him with all your might, because his sacrifice has paved the way to our freedom and salvation from oppression and death. His pain was insurmountable, but his love was even greater. His strength is stronger, for we now as we are, know that in him we too can face the sin and prevail. Thank you Jesus, thank you God. You have been so, so kind to me. I say out loud, I proclaim the truth, that we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for you. So we trust in you, god, as you lead us through the valleys, as you lead us through the hail of arrows that the enemy keeps firing at us.
Jon:I will follow what you've said in Scripture, in James. In the book of James, chapter 4, verse 7, it says so give yourselves completely to God, stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you. As we come to a close on this episode, I want to challenge you, as listeners, to read Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 10, all the way through verse 18, and learn how to don the armor of God and find a place. Reflect and look into your heart and find a place in your life that is getting rained down upon with flaming arrows from the enemy, and give it to God to lead you through it all safely, because he will not abandon you, not in the rain, not in the storm and not under fire. He will guide you through all the way. And as we look into this message, some of you may be saying, john, I don't know how to find God, I don't know what's the next step, I don't know who God is, let alone how to equip the tools that he's given us to face the battles of this world, and I tell you that this is why we're here as brothers and sisters in Christ, to welcome you with open arms.
Jon:Finding God is a matter of commitment. It's a matter of turning your life over to give up what this world has given you and continues to offer you to Him, to let Him guide you through the storms that you're going to face, because they're going to come. You may be in one right now. You may be sitting wondering where things went wrong. You may have everything you've ever dreamed of, but yet still feel empty. And that is because the only one who can fill that void, the only one who can make you feel whole, who can protect you and guide you, is God. So if you want to know who God is, if you want to accept Him into your heart, all you have to do is ask, for he's been knocking at your door, he's been wanting to save you, he wants to pull you out of the fire. Blessed are you, lord, o God.
Jon:So repeat after me whether you've accepted God or not in the past into your heart. Maybe you just fell away, or maybe you just want to invite Him over and over again, so that you can continually feel the presence of the Lord in your heart. I invite you to say and repeat after me Father, who art in heaven, I come to you, burdened God. I know that I'm a sinner, I know that I've done wrong in my life and I want to follow you. God, I acknowledge and accept that you sent your Son, jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross to cleanse me of my sins. God, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Teach me to face the oppressions, the battles, the rain of fire that the enemy keeps throwing my way, and help me be prepared to face Him in the days to come. Thank you, god, for you are all that's holy and I believe in you. In Jesus' holy name, I pray Amen.
Jon:For those of you that said the prayer, I want to say the most important thing, which is welcome to God's family, and also I'd like to send out a warm invitation and say welcome to the family that is known as Guidance Light, and maybe in this adventure, maybe you need help buckling up a piece of that armor. Maybe prayer is what you need. We are here for you. Reach out to any of us through the many platforms that we are on, and we will pray for you so that you too can see God's deliverance first hand, if he so chooses. Thank you for your unwavering love and support for this channel. Your dedication has allowed our episodes to reach listeners across the globe, from Europe to Africa and Asia. Let's keep the momentum going by spreading the word about this channel to our friends and family.
Jon:I am so profoundly grateful to God for entrusting me with the opportunity to share His words on this platform. As I witness a change is happening around me. I am filled with awe and gratitude for the transformations taking place in my life through His amazing grace and loving will. By God's guidance and blessing, this channel has expanded to launch a website where you can engage more deeply with a community. You can now submit prayer requests, send emails, stay updated on upcoming events and even purchase a Fish Guidance Light merchandise designed by yours truly and my wife. More importantly and all this, all the proceeds go to supporting the ministry. This marks just the beginning of the vision God has in store for us, not just for me, but for all of us as a collective family in Jesus Christ. With God's guidance, we have also expanded the reach of this show to major platforms like Spotify, amazon Music and soon to be available is YouTube. We're excited for that, as my family and I are thrilled to continue to serve God and His family through His ministry.
Jon:I am truly grateful for the journey we've shared in this episode. Your support means absolutely everything to me and my family. Please visit our new website, wwwguidance-lightcom. For valuable resources, prayer requests and official merchandise. Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook for daily inspiration. Your comment and reviews on our channel are absolutely invaluable in helping us spread the message to others who may need it.
Jon:If you're going through a challenging time, please don't hesitate again to send us your prayer request. We pray for absolutely each one that's been submitted. To show our appreciation for your support, we're excited to announce our official merchandise giveaway. To join this giveaway, simply follow, like and share our latest posts on Facebook and Instagram and leave a review on our podcast. Two lucky recipients will win a free official sweater and the third recipient will receive a free official mug from Guidance Light. Remember, we are in this journey together and I'm excited for what God has in store for the future.
Jon:Visit us again at guidance-lightcom or email me at john at guidance-lightcom. Your help in sharing these podcasts with your loved ones can be a very powerful way for God to work through you. May God bless you and protect you always. I am deeply thankful for each and every one of you. Guidance Light will continue to air one episode every Friday night into Saturday morning. If you'd like a list of the verses we covered today, please email me and I'll be happy to send them your way. Stay tuned on our website for updates and upcoming events. Thank you once again, and may God's blessings continue to overflow in your life. This is John with Guidance Light, sending you all the love and signing out. May God bless you. I'll see you, guys, next week.