Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional.
Finding True Happiness.

By Nonna Maximova

June 13th, 2026

By the time God found me, I’d taken speed skating, graduated from vocational school, and started working in a shop as a tailor for women’s clothing. I’d had an interesting, fun life, a job I loved, and was surrounded by many friends. But something was missing.

Then one day, a Bible showed up in our house. I started reading the book of Genesis, but it didn’t seem to speak to me. However, that wasn’t unusual because I hadn’t found much of anything lately that had brought me any joy.

In 1993, my aunt and my sister invited me to go to church with them, and after attending for a bit, all three of us were baptized. However, nothing changed in my heart, so I kept pursuing other interests, like the changing scenery outside the window of a fast-moving train.

That summer, my sister introduced me to a friend from work. She was a believer and had a sunny and bright personality. She was a warm and gentle woman, and from the moment I met her, everything changed. She told us about Jesus and invited us to worship at her church. After we took her up on the invitation, a new and wonderful life began for me.

So that’s what’s been lacking—God! I thought.

Later that year, we were all baptized again, this time consciously understanding that important step. Life was filled with a new and amazing knowledge of God, interesting meetings, and wonderful people who helped me take a stand for truth.

I reexamined my values since previously, my position was that the more I earned, the happier I’d be. I believed that money would set me free and that the whole world would be placed at my feet. How wrong I was. I could afford anything I wanted, but happiness had eluded me. Today I believe you can only achieve happiness by doing something good for others; and that by the grace of God, in time, all that good will be returned. I am so pleased to warm someone’s heart with an affectionate word, a gift, or some other form of help. I love to see their smile and grateful eyes.

I’ve stayed actively involved in giving Bible studies to people who are just learning about Jesus Christ, and each time, I leave a piece of my heart with them and continue to keep them in my prayers. If we talk about “the fruits of our labor,” then I can tell you that they are the sweetest, most valuable fruit. Souls added to God’s kingdom are the greatest reward there is. As Leo Tolstoy wrote, “In life, there is only one definite happiness—to live for others.”

As I studied the Word of God, I also tasted the sweetness of forgiveness. It is so wonderful to forgive and be forgiven. This is where true freedom lies—freedom from resentment and bitter and evil thoughts about the offender. God taught me to be patient with people and not hold evil in my heart. And by learning to forgive, I found true peace and happiness.

Happiness is in knowing the Almighty. Happiness is seeing every moment of life as a gift. Happiness is in the small, everyday things we do for others. It’s woven into every word, every look, and every small deed. Today I appreciate the kind words spoken to me more than the sweetest honey. Little things bring me unexpected joy.



I recently read that a person can increase their happiness to the proportion they deliver it to others. These are treasures that are piled up in my heart. As it is written in Matthew 6:19–21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

THE TRUE CHRISTIAN FAITH
This is the *FIRST* Systematic Theology of the Christian Church. Bookmark this extremely valuable resource by St. John of Damascus: you'll want to read it over and over again!

Written by a man who worked under Arian Islamic rule in Damascus, St. John of Damascus (676-749 A.D.) who lived at the time when the Church was still united, he is considered a saint in both Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism, and is also commemorated by the Lutherans, Anglicans, and Episcopalians.

St. John is one of the most trusted Orthodox theologians whose inspired hand penned the defense of icons, wrote hymns for the Orthodox Pascha Matins service, the Orthodox Funeral Service, and the entire Book of the Eight Tones (the “Octoechos”). According to one tradition, iconoclast Emperor Leo III reportedly sent forged documents to the Muslim caliph which implicated John in a plot to attack Damascus. The caliph then ordered John's right hand be cut off and hung up in public view. Some days afterwards, John prayed fervently before the icon of the Theotokos for the restitution of his hand: thereupon, his hand is said to have been miraculously restored... READ MORE: https://agape-biblia.org/AgBib/An-Exact-Exposition.htm

Will Pope Leo’s call to protect humanity in the AI era clash with trillion-dollar valuations? | Read full article at https://san.com/cc/will-pope-leos-call-to-protect-humanity-in-the-ai-era-clash-with-trillion-dollar-valuations/?utm_source=san_app&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=san_app_share

Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on AI warns of threats to human dignity in the digital age | Read full article at https://san.com/cc/pope-leo-xivs-ai-encyclical-warns-of-threats-to-human-dignity-in-the-digital-age/?utm_source=san_app&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=san_app_share

The Advent Truth.
When the new pope chose the name “Leo,” that wasn’t random. Popes choose their names intentionally. It’s a signal. A mission statement. A declaration of the kind of legacy they want to continue. And history matters.

The last two major popes named Leo tell a very interesting story.

Pope Leo I — often called “Leo the Great” — helped strengthen the authority of the papacy during a collapsing Roman world. He emphasized the supremacy of the bishop of Rome and helped lay foundations for the growing power of the Roman Church over both religious and political matters. He famously met Attila the Hun and became a symbol of papal authority standing above kings and nations.

Then came Pope Leo XIII. He is remembered for aggressively engaging the modern world politically, philosophically, and socially. He promoted Catholic social teaching, strongly defended papal authority, and is especially known in prophetic circles for his emphasis on spiritual warfare. He also helped revive Thomism and worked to position Rome as the moral voice the world should listen to in times of crisis.

That matters because names in the papacy are chosen with intention.

A pope choosing “Leo” may be signaling strength, authority, intellectual influence, moral leadership, and a desire for Rome to speak boldly into global issues once again.

And whether people realize it or not, Bible prophecy warned that a religio-political power would again gain worldwide influence. Revelation 13 describes a system the world would “wonder after.” Revelation 17 describes a woman — a church — influencing the kings of the earth.

This isn’t about attacking Catholics as individuals. Many sincere Catholics love Jesus. But Scripture warns about a system that would place tradition above God’s Word, unite church and state, and gain global admiration.

History matters. Names matter. Symbols matter.

And when a pope intentionally chooses the name “Leo,” students of history and prophecy should pay attention.

The Bible said these things would develop long before our generation ever arrived.

THE ADVENT TRUTH.
Pope Leo speaks out, “condemning” the slaughter of innocent lives… and the world applauds. But history tells a very different story.

The same system now speaking the language of peace once shed the blood of millions—men, women, and children—whose only crime was refusing to bow to its authority. During the Dark Ages, dissent from the Roman Catholic Church wasn’t tolerated—it was punishable by imprisonment, torture, and death. This isn’t conspiracy. It’s documented history.

So what changed?

Not the system, but the strategy.

Prophecy warned us that powers on the world stage would not always appear as persecutors. They would shift, soften, and present themselves differently—gaining trust, appearing compassionate, even moral—while maintaining the same underlying principles. The papacy is not the lamblike beast of Revelation 13, but it knows how to speak softly when it lacks the power to act forcefully. It’s a chameleon.

Today, the papacy presents itself as a moral authority, advocating for peace, unity, and human dignity. But don’t confuse temporary restraint with permanent change. A system that once enforced its doctrines through bloodshed has never renounced the principle of controlling conscience—it has simply adapted to a world where it currently lacks the power to enforce it again.

History + prophecy = a warning.

When influence returns—when church and state unite once more—the same spirit that fueled persecution before will rise again. The methods may look more refined, more “civilized,” but the principle remains unchanged: control of conscience.

This isn’t about hatred toward individuals. It’s about recognizing systems. Scripture doesn’t call us to ignore history—it calls us to discern it.

“By their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20)

Don’t be deceived by appearances. A chameleon doesn’t stop being a chameleon just because it changed colors.

Truth doesn’t change. But systems that oppose it will do whatever it takes to survive—even if that means pretending to be something they’re not… until they can be what they always were.

Religion and Politics — A Clear Reality

These days, there is a lot of discussion on social media about the American politician Donald Trump and the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Francis has often spoken about war, peace, and humanity in his statements. His message emphasizes that there should be no bloodshed in the world and that peace must prevail.
Similarly, Donald Trump is a political leader who speaks in terms of state decisions, security, and national interest. He has also, on various occasions, referred to God, the Bible, prayer, and moral values, and has publicly joined religious leaders and pastors in prayer.
What is the core point?
The main point is this:
Religion (Christianity) is a spiritual and moral system
Politics is a system of governance and state affairs
These two are not the same, nor can they be judged by the same standard.
An important question people raise
Some people also ask:
When wars occur in the world, strong statements about peace are often heard from the Pope.
However, when issues such as oppression of Christians or minorities, forced conversions, or false accusations arise in different countries—especially in certain regions—why is there less global voice or response at that time?
This question is not always raised out of emotion, but from a basic human sense that justice should be equal everywhere.
Opinions regarding Pope Francis
Some people believe that Pope Francis should not only speak about war, but also raise a clear and strong voice on every issue where human rights are being violated, so that international institutions and courts may take more serious action.
Another perspective
It is also a reality that global leaders cannot focus equally on all issues at the same time, because:
Political situations differ
Diplomatic relations play a role
Media attention shifts in different directions
The most important reality
Mixing religion and politics often creates misunderstanding.
✔ Religion brings a person closer to God, love, and truth
✔ Politics deals with governance and state decisions
✔ Both operate in separate spheres
Final thought
What the world needs most today is:
Justice for every human being
Equal importance given to every issue
Differences that do not turn into hatred
Because true strength does not lie in mixing religion and politics, but in justice, wisdom, and humanity.

DID YOU KNOW?
It has been announced that Pope Leo XIV will receive the 2026 Liberty Medal for promoting “religious liberty,” “freedom of conscience,” and “freedom of expression.” The ceremony is set for July 3, 2026, on Independence Mall in Philadelphia—on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary.

That is remarkable.

Historic Protestant America once saw Rome as the great enemy of liberty of conscience. And history gives good reason why. For centuries, Rome did not champion the American ideal of religious liberty. In fact, the 'Syllabus of Errors' (Pius IX, 1864) explicitly condemned the proposition: “The Church ought to be separated from the State, and the State from the Church.” Pope Gregory XVI also denounced liberty of conscience as an “absurd and erroneous proposition” in 'Mirari Vos' (1832). And the 'Syllabus of Errors' linked broad civil and religious liberty with “the pest of indifferentism.”

Nor should we forget the darker record of the past. The Inquisition was established under papal authority to combat heresy, and dissenters were often branded as heretics and suppressed rather than granted liberty of conscience.

Yet now, in a striking historical irony, an American institution built around the Constitution and the First Amendment is honoring the pope as a champion of religious freedom.

That does not erase history. It shows how dramatically the image of the papacy has changed in the public mind.

And that matters, because Revelation does not merely predict the existence of the beast—it predicts the admiration of the world for it. “All the world wondered after the beast” (Rev. 13:3). It also shows Protestant America leading the earth to honor that system.

We are watching the old barriers fall, the old warnings forgotten, and the world being conditioned to see Rome not as a persecuting power of prophecy, but as a moral guide for the nations.

The final issue will not stay merely symbolic forever.

Revelation says the time is coming when admiration will give way to enforced worship.

Bible students should be watching.

DID YOU KNOW?
On Sunday, April 12th, 2026, in St Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV, elevated Sunday by tying it to Christ’s appearance to Thomas on the “eighth day.” On that basis, he said the Church gathers “every Sunday” and declared, “The Sunday Eucharist is indispensable to the Christian life.”

This matters because it is the same basic argument Rome has long used to exalt Sunday: the resurrection is treated as the authority for the day. But Scripture never does this. Christ’s resurrection is central to the gospel, yet God never sanctified Sunday in honour of it. The day God blessed and made holy was the seventh day at creation, and in the fourth commandment He identifies it as “the sabbath of the Lord thy God.” The Bible never says that holiness was transferred from the seventh day to the first.

And if the resurrection is to have a memorial, Scripture already gives one: baptism. We are buried with Christ and raised with Him through faith (Rom 6:4). The resurrection is remembered in baptism — not by changing God’s holy day.

This is why the pope’s words should not be dismissed as harmless devotional language. They reinforce the same line of thinking that has historically led from the exaltation of Sunday to the oppression of those who honour the Sabbath. Canon 29 of the Council of Laodicea declared: “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day… But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.”

That is not merely a preference for Sunday. It is a rejection of Sabbath rest and a condemnation of those who remain loyal to God’s holy day. And that is exactly the direction Revelation 13 points us to: a final crisis in which false worship will not simply be taught, but enforced. History has already shown the pattern — exalt Sunday, oppose the Sabbath, and pressure conscience into submission.

So when Pope Leo XIV again uses the resurrection to elevate Sunday, Bible-believing Christians should recognise what is at stake. The resurrection did not create a new holy day. God sanctified the seventh-day Sabbath, not Sunday. Sunday sacredness rests on church authority. The Sabbath rests on the authority of God.