He who overcomes and conquers the evil … (Revelation 3:5) from Claudia Black (Counsellor and LOGOS Chief Director). For quite some time now the social media has been circulating the presence of certain “feelings” such as a mixture of tiredness and anger. The corona situation with all its effects has been overwhelming us. As if the virus wasn’t dangerous enough, it also restricts us from our friends, neighbours and families in our community. What can we as Christians do to defeat evil and overcome during crisis? How can we hold on to our faith and protect our hearts?

I firmly believe that there is a place where we can be immune to all the evil, all the darkness, the horror and the destructiveness. It is in the presence of God. Here there is healing, liberation, forgiveness and life in fullness where we can be conquerors. The very first question I ask in every counselling session is “How is your relationship with Jesus?” There are so many who are good Christians, but never hear God’s voice. They do not know how to dwell in God’s presence and refill their tanks allowing the Holy Spirit to work. The most important thing is to experience God every day. That’s what makes a relationship alive. There is the omnipresent presence of God and the manifested presence of God. In the latter, God reveals himself to us or where we can experience God. If we reach out for the manifesting presence of God, then God lets us feel his presence through different ways, like healing, experiencing a deep peace or relaxation, feeling of security, clarity in mind, receiving knowledge, feeling a warmth, having goosebumps, calmness etc. (These are only a few examples). In Leviticus 26:11 we read how God says: “I will put my dwelling place among you”. Evil is described as smoke that is simply blown away in God’s presence. It is also described as wax before the fire. It melts in the presence of God (see Ps. 68:2).

To the church in Ephesus, God was saying that they no longer loved him like they did before. Remember your passion and dedication with which you once chose me. Repent and return to the way you were at the beginning. (read Revelation 2 from verse 4 onwards). Can you produce passion and love yourself? According to the Bible, one can choose to do so. In Songs of Solomon 8:6-7 you can read about this passionate love. Its flames are like lightning and neither can many waters extinguish this love nor can floods drown this love. This love comes from God and will never die.

Let us strive to relive God’s presence and strengthen our faith. Let us wait again in God’s presence. Let us come closer to him until the all the evil at this moment of encounter disappears and melts away. For whoever overcomes and conquers evil will receive eternal life, their strength renewed and achieve victory. (Revelation.2)

Here is a prayer you can pray according to Psalm 57:1 “Lord ín the shadow of your wings I will take refuge and be confident until the Corona catastrophe and its deadly destructive storms have passed.”

Your Claudia Black

"The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;” Psalms (Psalm 34:20). Really? From all? This is almost unbelievable. And that is exactly the right keyword: faith! Do some people have too little faith if they are not redeemed from suffering? And what about the people who had faith and still died in the end?

The word "misfortune" can be replaced by suffering, tribulation, sorrow, misery, need, distress. Much suffering - perhaps you can also confirm this for your life? First of all: suffering does not come from God. In HIM there is only light and no darkness. But God can use suffering to make the best of it. He uses fertilizer to let new things grow. He uses ashes to mould new things. He allows trials to strengthen our faith. He allows things to happen that prevent us from becoming proud. Let's keep in mind: There is suffering caused by our own fault - consequences of our own wrong decisions. And there is not self-inflicted suffering that God cannot use for good, but that is not caused by Him. Ultimately, most of the world is under the spell of the kingdom of darkness and the dragon has declared war on all who belong to Jesus (Revelation 12). Jesus disempowered Satan and his powers, but the kingdom of God is only gradually advancing and spreading on this earth. As Christians, we are thus particularly in the line of fire of the enemy.

People who go their way with God may rely on God's promises and His help (see Psalm 34 above). The Bible tells us in many places that God's promises and help are linked to conditions. 1. Read carefully whom the promises are for. In Psalm 34 it is the righteous who walk a straight path with God. 2. Most promises are for those who believe. To believe means more than just hoping. To believe means to expect and sometimes even to act as if the help had already arrived. Peter had to get out of the boat before he walked on the water. Only then did he experience that the water was carrying him. So: first take a step in faith. Live as if the help of God is already there. That is faith put into practice very practically. Thank God already for his intervention. Even if you are afraid and even if you cannot yet see any change.

The promise is true!!!! It is only a matter of time. And time is in God's hand. In HIS kingdom it has another dimension than in our earthly world. With HIM the future is already present. Jesus died for the sins of the future as well as the past generation. The promise is always true. He saves us from everything. Even if it should be that we die. Even then we are saved from suffering - into a life without suffering. What could be better?

Rely on it: The Lord saves you from everything!

It was already midnight when the Lord spoke to me: "Read Acts 5:1-11." It is the incident of Hananias and Saphira who sold a field to donate the money to the church. Hananias, with the knowledge of his wife, withheld some of the profit brought in and gave only a part to the apostles. Peter recognized this through the revelation of the Holy Spirit and asked Hananias why Satan had filled his heart, so that he lied to the Holy Spirit and withheld some of the money from the sale of the field. Apostle Peter also told him that he could have kept the field, but that instead he had cheated not men but God Himself. When Hananias heard these words, he fell dead to the ground and was buried. After about three hours his wife Saphira came and knew nothing of her husband's death. But Peter asked them if they had sold the field for this price. Saphira affirmed. Immediately she fell to the ground and gave up her spirit! There was a great fear in the whole church.

Unconscious sin

This biblical passage I knew hit my heart, I got up from my bed, went to my library, bent my knees, and repented of every possible exaggeration, understatement, deception, and manipulation I have done to God from childhood to this day. I asked the Lord Jesus to wash away all sins from the heavenly books (Revelation 20:12) through His Holy Blood. Then I felt a deep peace within me. In my opinion, there are few Christians who consciously sin against God and give their hearts to Satan. We Christians often sin without always being clearly conscious of it. This hinders spiritual growth, indeed it weighs on us. With some Christians who come to me for pastoral care, I have clearly noticed this through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Even King David prayed, "Lord, watch over my mouth! (Psalm 141:3). He knew why. Jesus Christ is the great high priest and sits at the right hand of the majesty of God, representing us before God the Father. He is our mediator and lawyer. Christ is your and my righteousness. Only that matters.

Jesus likes to forgive

We must be careful what we say with our mouths. If a situation is precarious, it is better to remain silent than to become guilty. I hereby pass on this advice according to divine instruction: Read Acts 5, 1 - 11 and ask the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, just as I did. I was not aware of any sin, but it was clear to me that I had become guilty over many years. Jesus Christ likes to forgive. The burden of all our sins was carried by Jesus as the Lamb of God for every man to the Cross of Golgotha. And He shed His Holy Blood and reconciled us with God. What a grace, what a consolation! All praise and worship are to Him alone.

Your Heinz Floreck

By Claudia Black (Counselor, LOGOS Board Member)

Along with love, peace and justice, joy is an integral part of the kingdom of God. Let us be honest, we have far too little joy in our lives. But it is important because it is our strength (see Nehemiah 8 verse 10).

Granted, life poses many challenges to us that have nothing to do with joy. Situations, people, worries, problems and hardships rob us of our joy. Therefore, it is important to learn how to keep the joy.

There is a secret that benefits the children of God: you can have joy and still be in the midst of grief. You can have joy, even in the midst of suffering. You can have joy even though you are walking through a deep valley and only darkness surrounds you.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:10: "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." What Paul describes here is that Jesus Christ dwells in him and so he can cope with all external circumstances, because the sources of his power are Him. And that also includes joy.

How can we put this into practice? Paul writes that he learned to cope with every situation in life (Philippians 4:13). Let us learn! Two practical steps help us to capture the joy:

1. Change your thoughts!

Thinking positively is highly biblical. The definition of faith is described in Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.“ To have a firm confidence means much more than just hope. The increase of hope is expectation. Expect the good in your life. In practice, you can do this by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you with every negative thought to replace it with a positive thought. And expect every day that goodness and mercy will follow you (Psalm 23:6).

2. Sow joyful seeds!

Based on the biblical principle "what you sow, you will reap", you can give joy to others by doing them something good. A gift, a compliment, an encouragement, a listening, a prayer, an invitation, be creative and become an active giver of joy. You will see and experience that this seed is born and that you will reap joy for yourself. Remember: The seed of joy is already in you. Share and see the multiplication of joy in your life.

God bless you with the joy in the Lord!

Yours

Claudia Black

A young woman went to see a specialist in psychosomatic medicine because of her depression. But instead of a talk therapy, the psychotherapist offered a bioenergetic meditation. With the laying on of hands the highest energy form of the universe is directed into the body.

As Christians we know that no "energy" flows, but evil spirits are responsible for diseases. The Bible warns us about this.

Christians can also be exposed to demonic influence even though they are not possessed (2. Timothy 2:26). This happens when they open certain doors of infallibility to the enemy of God, giving him authority in their lives. These include occult practices such as esotericism, yoga, ying and yang, horoscopes, Satanism, astrology, tarot cards, pendulums, glass backs and much more.

Many people are literally trapped in the web of occultism, which can have a negative effect on the psyche, motor skills, health, thoughts and concentration.

The following prayer can help you:

"Dear Lord Jesus Christ, you shed your holy blood on the cross of Golghata to forgive my sins. I confess before You that I have sinned in many ways from childhood to the present day. You also died for me on the cross of Golgotha and defeated Satan. You alone are the true ruler in heaven and on earth. I repent and ask You for forgiveness of all my sins (occult sins enumerate). Wash me clean with Your holy blood and free me from all kinds of demons. I am yours forever. Thank you, Jesus. Amen!"

If you have any further questions or need help, please contact me.

Sincerely, your Heinrich Floreck

By Claudia Black (counselor, LOGOS board member)

In the subconscious of humans, processes take place that we barely notice, but whose effects we feel every day. When things do not go the way we would like it, we quickly blame others, or even God. The power of our words is shown to us in the following picture: Once pronounced, words are like arrows that are shot off and do not return. And they can bring blessing and fruit as well as curse and destruction. There are words that were already spoken about us in our early childhood and have left their mark on us to this day. "You will never become anything," or "You are and will remain a good-for-nothing." "You will never find a husband/wife like that". And there have been negative experiences that have led us to conclusions. For example: "It always ends up all on me." - "It’s useless." - "I'm always unlucky" - "There is nothing for free".

Processes in the subconscious

No matter whether other people have spoken these sentences about you, or whether you have appropriated them yourself: Do you realize that these are beliefs? Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can do it, or you can't, you'll always be right." The following process has brought beliefs into you: The pronounced words came like seeds. You gave them faith and they took root. Then they came to life, they became reality and are directional. In principle, you are making prophecies about yourself that fulfill themselves. Even seemingly harmless sayings like "I think I will get sick" or "I am always so forgetful" are affirmed by your statement and can become real in this way. Proverbs 6 verse 2 says: "You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.“ Take two minutes of your time and think about what beliefs you have given space in your life. What idioms you tied yourself to.

To move into the light of truth

How now can we get free from those beliefs that have captured us? I recommend three steps:

1. identify 2. eliminate 3. replace

Re point 1: Ask God in prayer that in His light of truth, you may recognize false beliefs in your life.

Re point 2: Ask God for forgiveness that you have believed these propositions and ask him for liberation. You can also break all the curses that have been uttered about you, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Re point 3: Replace the false beliefs with the truths of God and with new ones from the Word of God. This requires some practice, such as muscle building, but the Holy Spirit will gladly be your teacher and remember and instruct you when you ask him to do so. As a child of God, you may also call things into existence that are not yet there. Job 22:28 says, "What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.“ Today say words of blessing about you in prayer. About your profession, your family, your finances, your health, your care and well-being.

Sincerely your Claudia Black

A prayer for the liberation from curses, which I send gladly on inquiry, offers a help

c.black@logos-global-vision.org 

By Heinrich Floreck

One example:

A woman told me that as a child she had witnessed a terrible argument between her parents. The father sent his three daughters (8, 6 and 4 years old) out of the room. The big fight went on. The girls listened at the door. The reason for the argument was that the mother was expecting the fourth child. The father screamed that even the youngest, Evelyn*, should not have been born. That hit Evelyn right in the heart. She knew, she was not wanted and therefore unloved. She died inwardly, became highly introverted and unable to build her own life. No doctor could help her. Today she is over 40 years old and has been living in a closed psychiatric ward for many years. Only lasting pastoral care and inner healing can help here. Mental pain can grow to a root of bitterness and produce uncontrolled fruits that affect relationships and personality and may lead to physical illness.

There is no point in tearing down just the weeds of bitterness, because they are constantly growing back. Only if we also let the root go, we can be set free of bitterness. Anyone who has ever had to undergo root canal treatment at the dentist’s agrees with me that this is one of the most painful dental treatments ever. Although the mental root treatment as well as the physical is not a painless affair, it is the only one that helps us to heal. And what does the treatment look like? Once the cause of the mental pain has been found, it is significant to address it in detail (to illuminate the dark areas with the light of God and to look at them closely).

This is done in prayer or, depending on the situation, with a person of trust (pastor). Facing these fears is a prerequisite for healing. Quite often the part of forgiveness follows thereafter. This part can last for different lengths of time. It can also be compared to cleansing the wound. The wound is then closed in prayer and sealed with the Holy Spirit (according to Ephesians 4:30). If you suffer from mental pain, be courageous and take the step of inviting God to heal you.

Yours Heinrich Floreck

*name changed

Romans 7 and 8

By Heinrich Floreck

Many Christians are bound to many sins and cannot get rid of them on their own. Even great efforts of their own do not bring about lasting victory. They are sad about it, repent and feel guilty and partly condemnable before God. I am in the 40th year of my full-time service called by God as a leader in the mission and for over 30 years in the full-time pastoral liberation ministry. In Germany alone I was allowed to serve over one thousand Christians, who experienced freedom from mental and spiritual bondage as well as physical healing. And yet some of them fall back into old sins and behaviors. How is that possible?

Apostle Paul writes in Romans chapter 7, 24: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" And in verses 18 and 19: "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." In verse 23: “But I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.”

Now the Holy Spirit leads the despairing apostle Paul to another law!

Romans chapter 8 states: "…, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Here is the true solution! So there are TWO laws: 1st the law of sin and death and 2nd the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Only this law really makes us free.

For example, we all know the law of gravity. I can defy this law by my own power, for example by holding a bottle of water stretched out in my hand. But how long can I keep it up? At some point it slips out of my hand and the law of gravity has finally won. Likewise, it is with sin if we want to overcome it by our own strength and fulfill God's commandments by our own power. For many, the spiritual is entangled with the mental. The Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit and has given us the strength to overcome sin. But if we do not let the Spirit of God rule in our lives and let him work unresricted in us (see 1 Thes 5:19), then we fight with carnal means instead of spiritual ones. The sword of the Word of God separates the carnal from the spiritual (Hebrews 4:12). Only the Holy Spirit can show us what is soul life and what is spirit life. Come to Jesus and pray for the help of the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead you to the law of life and thus to victory over sin. Do not fight alone anymore. The law of life must completely (and not only partially) replace the law of sin. May the Lord give you success.

Heinrich Floreck

By Pastor Daniel Ondieki

She was determined to bring the 12 years of her long suffering to an end. And she made it.

Mark 5 verse 25 - 34: And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

With these steps the woman achieved her successes:

• She was so desperate that she wanted to change her painful condition. In other words, she said to herself: "Enough is enough".
• She had tried all human possibilities and apparently none of them gave her what she needed.
• She had spent everything she had on medication and the doctors who had treated her.
• She heard of Dr. Jesus Christ, the physician of doctors, and came to one of His meetings, which became a turning point in her life.
• She was determined to touch Jesus in encounter with the "touch of faith" - unlike many who touched Him only with a "natural" touch and just to feel good with Him.
• She was strategic in the way she would touch Him. She planned the procedure very carefully and thoroughly in the midst of the resistance around her.
• She applied her faith and acted accordingly.
• When she mixed her faith with deeds, she received her immediate healing as Jesus felt healing power flowing out of Him.
• She knew about her healing because the blood flow had stopped.
• She made a complete confession of her healing

Her faith, deeds and determination were major factors in the ending of 12 years of suffering. You can also trust God to do a miracle for you if you apply these steps and principles in your situation.

The four principles she used to achieve her breakthrough:

• She said it.
• She did it.
• She received it.
• She told (proclaimed) it.

Be encouraged and determined to put an end to your suffering. Learn from the Word of God and receive what you need. God bless you!

Pastor Daniel Ondieki (Branch Manager of LOGOS in Bonn)

We're all afraid of change. After the Fall, man is a being who seeks safety in an insecure world. Sin rages with its destructiveness. Satan perverts the things given and created by God. Love becomes sex addiction, pleasure becomes debauchery, the earth created by God shakes and brings death, the seas bring tsunamis, the winds bring typhoons, the sun brings the ozone hole and causes skin cancer. Dear people around us get cancer. What else gives us security and stability in this earthly life?

Yes, we have faith and as Christians we are God's children and hear His voice. Yet suffering does not stop at us Christians either. The kingdom of God has begun, but not yet fully and completely. Therefore, we humans tend to gain control over our lives. For we think that we will then have peace, and to be able to relax. But the more we struggle, the more frustrated we become. The danger is that we find our security in circumstances, not in God. And once shocking changes happen in our lives, we often suspect the enemy behind it. But even if it were, the Lord would still have allowed them. The challenge is and remains to hold fast to Christ, to seek our security in HIM and to let all HIS diversity spread within us. God teaches us in this life that we should rely on nothing but him. Changes are painful.

Changes are associated with uncertainty and fear of the future. Changes are like walking in a fog on a narrow, high bridge. Change means letting go. We don't want any of that. We want what we are used to, even if we know that it is not good for us. But at least then we will know where we stand and what we have. Who tells us it won't be worse than before if we let the change happen?

The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." The Lord invites you today to leave the boat of safety and walk on the water. Make the move with Jesus. Trust him with your future. He challenges you not to throw away your trust, which has a great reward (Hebrews 10:35). The first few steps might take your breath away, but then you will see how the fog lifts, you will feel how God's hand holds you. You will notice the ground under the feet that holds you, and at the end of the way the Lord will give you this aforementioned "reward".

You will be changed into His image, purified, stronger, more courageous than before. Incidentally, this also applies to change that happens without our decision. The loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of health, finances, recognition and appreciation. For all the losses Jesus wants to be your security. Are you going for it? You will not regret it. Give yourself completely into the hands of Jesus. This will be your Safety.