This week, we’re learning something really important — God speaks through wise people. Sometimes God uses parents, pastors, teachers, or even good friends to help us see what’s right. Wise people help us make smart choices, stay safe, and follow God’s plan for our lives. You know what I’ve learned? When someone shares something that’s really from God, it brings a quiet peace inside — like a warm light turning on. But when something isn’t from God, it just feels… off. Kind of like a flashlight with the wrong battery. Today we’re going to learn how to tell the difference and how God uses ordinary people to do amazing things. https://www.professorandfriends.com/

Being secure in Christ means your salvation is ultimately held by Him, not by your own strength. Losing your salvation means a genuine believer can commit apostasy and be eternally cut off from God. What Secure in Christ Means Scripture repeatedly anchors the believer’s confidence in the person and work of Jesus, not in our performance. Because Christ is preeminent over all things—including your salvation—He is both the author and the perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Key realities of this security: Christ’s finished work on the cross fully paid for all your sins—past, present, and future. The Holy Spirit is given as a guarantee and seal (Ephesians 1:13-14). Jesus promises that no one can snatch His sheep out of His hand or the Father’s hand (John 10:28-29). The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work to keep those who are truly His (Romans 8:38-39; Jude 24). True security does not mean “I can live however I want.” It means that if you belong to Christ, He will complete the work He began in you (Philippians 1:6). Genuine faith perseveres. What Losing One’s Salvation Means This view teaches that a person can be genuinely saved, indwelt by the Spirit, and later fall away through unbelief, persistent rebellion, or returning to a life of unrepentant sin, thereby forfeiting salvation. Passages like Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:26-31, and Galatians 5:4 are often cited as warnings that real believers can make shipwreck of their faith. How These Fit Together Biblically The Bible holds both truths in tension without contradiction: Christ is supremely sufficient. If you are in Him, your security rests on His preeminence, not your consistency. At the same time, the New Testament gives strong, sober warnings against falling away. These warnings are not empty threats. God uses them as one of the very means by which He keeps His people. Those who ultimately abandon Christ and return to a life of unbelief show that they were never truly united to Him in the first place (1 John 2:19). The warnings serve to drive true believers to cling harder to Christ, repent quickly, and examine themselves. Bottom line: Your security is not a license to sin. It is a call to rest in the supremacy of Christ while fighting sin with all your might. If you are in Christ, He will keep you. The evidence that you are in Christ is that you continue trusting Him, repenting, and persevering to the end. Examine yourself. Are you resting in Christ’s finished work while walking in obedience? That is the path of biblical assurance. Cling to the preeminent Christ who holds you. He is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless before the Father.

The Unstoppable Hour.. Why Our Fight is Not with This World There is a palpable anxiety in the air. We see it in the news, on social media, and in the hushed conversations at our kitchen tables. People are scrambling. They are organizing, petitioning, and protesting. They are trying to stop the political shift, the moral decline, and the geopolitical chaos. They are fighting against the current of the world, attempting to "save" a system that was always destined to collapse. But as believers, we must stop and take a sobering look at the reality of our calling. We are not here to stop the inevitable. We are here to walk through it. The Apostle Paul made it crystal clear in Ephesians 6:12: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness." When we see the governments of the world aligning, when we see corruption at every level, and when we see nations turning away from the truth, we are witnessing the fulfillment of prophecy, not the failure of humanity. The Bible predicted a time of great corruption (2 Timothy 3:1-5). It predicted that evil would be called good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). The tragedy of our time is not that the world is becoming corrupt; the tragedy is that the Church is wasting its energy trying to fix a world that is already under judgment. Those who are the most "active" in trying to save the culture are often the ones inadvertently bringing these things to pass, because they are fighting in the flesh, trying to build a Kingdom on Earth that was never meant to exist here permanently. To understand our role, we must look back at the history of our faith. The Scriptures are full of people who tried to "help" God fulfill His promises, and the results were devastating. Consider Abraham and Sarah. God promised Abraham a son. But when the years dragged on, Sarah decided to "help" God by giving her servant Hagar to Abraham. The result? Ishmael was born. This decision did not bring the promise sooner; it brought discord, bitterness, and a conflict that has spanned millennia, a conflict we still see in the Middle East today. God did not need Abraham's "help" in the physical realm to bring about the spiritual miracle. He needed Abraham's faith and waiting. Consider Moses. When Moses saw the oppression of his people, he acted in his own strength. He killed an Egyptian taskmaster, thinking he was delivering his people. Instead, he became a fugitive and delayed God's plan by forty years. Moses had to unlearn his own strength in the desert before God could use him to free Israel. In these times, it will be no different. We are prone to run ahead of God, to create political kingdoms, to try to legislate morality into the hearts of the unregenerate. We call it "saving the nation," but God calls it "strange fire", our own effort offered on His altar, a sacrifice He never asked for. If we are not to fight the political tide, what are we to do? Good question. We are to be Witnesses. Jesus didn't tell us to take over the world; He told us to preach the Gospel to every creature. He said, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). We are ambassadors of a Kingdom not of this world. We are to be Lighthouses. In a time of corruption, we are called to be blameless and pure, shining as lights in a dark world (Philippians 2:15). Our focus is not on changing the behavior of the world, but on offering the soul of the world a way out. We are to Pray. Instead of protesting the darkness, we should be praying for the souls of those in power, while trusting that God is sovereign over the rise and fall of nations. The spiritual battle is won on our knees, not on the streets. Look at the world today. Technology is advancing at a rate that allows for the global control and surveillance spoken of in Revelation. Nations are aligning in ways eerily reminiscent of the prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel. The push for a one-world order, the moral relativism, and the hostility toward absolute truth are all box-checking the signs of the times. When we try to stop this, we are fighting God's timeline. We are acting like children trying to stop the rain by screaming at the clouds. The rain is coming. The question is: have you built your house on the Rock? The times are serious. The world is racing toward a conclusion that has been written since the foundation of the earth. We must stop panicking over the headlines and start preparing our hearts. We are not called to be reformers of a dying world; we are called to be rescuers of dying souls. Don't waste your energy trying to stop the ship from sinking. Use your energy to get people into the lifeboats. The hull is breached. The prophecies must be fulfilled. But you, you have a job to do. Do not be deceived by the illusion that you can fight the spiritual battle with physical weapons. The only thing that will save a soul is the Gospel. The only way to stand in the coming storm is to be rooted in the Word. Stop trying to save the world. Start trying to save the lost. The hour is late. The time is now. Choose your side and dig in. Alonso Buford.

Monks in Greece took apart a 1,500-year-old manuscript of Paul's letters and reused its pages as binding material for other books. Centuries later, scientists found the lost text hiding in the ink of the pages that replaced it. Codex H is a sixth-century Greek manuscript containing the letters of the Apostle Paul, one of the oldest and most important New Testament witnesses in existence. In the 13th century, it was dismantled at the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, and its parchment — valuable and reusable — was cut up and repurposed as binding material and flyleaves for other manuscripts. Its surviving fragments ended up scattered across libraries in Italy, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, and France. Here's what made recovery possible. At some point the manuscript had been re-inked, and the chemicals in that new ink bled faintly onto the facing pages — a reversed, mirror-image imprint of text that no longer physically existed on the page itself. It was invisible to the naked eye, but not to a camera. A research team led by Professor Garrick Allen at the University of Glasgow, working with the Early Manuscripts Electronic Library, used multispectral imaging — capturing the parchment under wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared — to bring those ghost imprints back into view. Combined with radiocarbon dating to confirm the manuscript's sixth-century origin, the team reconstructed 42 lost pages, recovering around 130 verses. The find includes some of the earliest known chapter divisions for Paul's letters and roughly a hundred scribal corrections and annotations, giving scholars a rare window into how early Christians actually studied and compared their copies of Scripture. And here's the part worth sitting with: the recovered words match the text already preserved in other ancient New Testament copies. After thirteen centuries in pieces, scattered across four countries, cut up and reused as bookbinding — the words hadn't changed. Share this with someone who thinks ancient texts are fragile things we can't trust. "The word of our God will stand forever." — Isaiah 40:8 #CodexH #BiblicalArchaeology #ApostlePaul #ManuscriptDiscovery #ChurchHistory

I AM LOVED. Deeply, ridiculously, overwhelmingly loved by God. ❤️ Sometimes I find myself in situations where I genuinely have NO IDEA how things will turn out. 😂 And yet, somehow, after all the times “life" happened to me, here I am… STILL STANDING. 🙌🏽 These days, I catch myself smiling for no particular reason. Yesterday, I actually busted out laughing in the car while driving home. 😂😂 There are even moments I feel like I should just pull over and dance because… hmmm! 💃🏽🤣 You guys won’t understand. And honestly, I don’t think I can explain it either. Bottom line is: I AM LOVED. I AM KEPT. I AM GRATEFUL. AND GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME! ❤️🙌🏽 So yes… if you see me randomly smiling, laughing or looking like I know something you don’t know… I probably do. 😌😂 #grateful #gratefulheart

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD’S GRACE. *TOPIC:* DOING SOMETHING USEFUL. *TEXT:* EPHESIANS 4:25-28. 25 Therefore, stripping off falsehood, “let each of us speak the truth to his neighbor,” for we belong to one another. Zec 8:16 [Col 3:9] 26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set while you are still angry, Psa 4:4 [Mat 5:25] 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity to work. Jas 4:7 1Pe 5:9 28 The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy. Act 20:35 1Th 4:11 2Th 3:8 2Th 3:12 *TOPIC:* DOING SOMETHING USEFUL. *THE MESSAGE:* No one is created for a life of waste, rebellion, or indulgence in destructive habits like drugs, immorality, theft, or idleness. This passage encourages believers to live productive, truthful, and purposeful lives as taught in the scriptures. God desires fruitfulness, not wastefulness or sinful living. To be useful, you must shun lies, embrace the truth, and engage in honest work. Hard work brings rewards, growth, and opens doors of opportunity, keeping you from the grip of poverty, unfruitfulness, and shame. It is disheartening to see young people spending their time on social media, pursuing fruitless ventures, and missing numerous opportunities. Usefulness involves taking initiative, being creative, and serving both God and others with diligence and integrity. Embrace a mindset of diligence and purpose today! *REFLECTION:* Be useful to your Creator and community. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to be productive. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* EZEKIEL 12-15. ED.ii. WHAT WAS I BORN FOR? "'You are a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered: 'You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.'" - John 18:37 Jesus knew what He was born for. There are many people who do not know why they are here on earth. I believe, however, that man was created quite uniquely. So how can you think we were put on earth without a purpose and just for fun? It is good to think about: What was I born for? Is this what God has for me? There is only One who can give you the right answer to that and it is God. He knows exactly why you were born. God's children save themselves from a lot of difficulties when they consult Him; God wants to speak as well as answer them. The purpose of our existence God did not create us to only build a life here on earth and then die. No, God created mankind to eventually go to heaven to be with Him forever. That is the main reason why He created us. However, that is not God's only purpose. On earth we are on our way to our ultimate goal and while we are here, we must consult the Lord: 'Lord, what do You want me to do? What is the earthly purpose for which You want to use me?' Go and consult God about the earthly job you should practice and what you can do for Him, so you will know: This is the reason why I was born! Find ways to bless others. Make yourself available to people who need comfort and support. 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me' (Matthew 25:40). Allow yourself to say at the end of your life: 'Lord, I have done what You wanted me to do.' https://www.theblessingdevotional.com 2. Evening prayer for today. EP.i. Morning Prayer Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do,] forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ⏤ Philippians 3:13-14 Prayer is the acid test of devotion. ⏤ Samuel Chadwick O Lord, You’ve taught us through Your apostle to forget what lies behind and to reach forward to what lies ahead. Give us the grace to let go of the past and press on toward the goal of our high calling. Help us to cast aside every weight and the sins that so easily trip us up, and to run with endurance the race set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. This world pulls us back, holding us from aspiring heavenward. May we have the strength to resist these earthly temptations and instead be drawn toward the blessings of a heavenly life. Help us to live more and more for the things that are unseen and eternal. Earthly things, though sweet and beautiful, are temporary—like flowers that are fragrant today but wilted tomorrow. May these fleeting blessings remind us of You and turn our thoughts to You. Let us not rest in these temporary joys or build our hopes on them. Instead, teach us to rest in You and build our hopes on the enduring rock of Your eternity. Then, no matter what earthly disaster or loss comes our way, we will be safe and secure in You, our unchanging God. As we step into the world today, fill our hearts with thoughts of Your love and grace. Go before us, lead us, and help us follow You wherever You guide. Give us wisdom to respond rightly in every situation. Grant us courage to face difficulties and overcome obstacles. And give us gentle hearts so we may be a blessing to others. We ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/45/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

🙏 FAITH MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE ✝️ When life feels impossible, remember that God is bigger than every problem, every fear, and every obstacle you face. Pray about everything. 🙏 Trust God’s plan. ❤️ Believe in His promises. 📖 Keep your heart open to His blessings. ✝️ 📖 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” — Luke 1:37 Whatever you are facing today, don’t give up. Keep praying, keep believing, and keep trusting God. He is with you always. ❤️ Comment AMEN 🙏 if you believe! #Faith #TrustGod #GodIsGood #JesusChrist #ChristianFaith #Luke137 #Prayer #BibleVerse #ChristianPost #Amen

🙏 FAITH MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE ✝️ When life feels impossible, remember that God is bigger than every problem, every fear, and every obstacle you face. Pray about everything. 🙏 Trust God’s plan. ❤️ Believe in His promises. 📖 Keep your heart open to His blessings. ✝️ 📖 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” — Luke 1:37 Whatever you are facing today, don’t give up. Keep praying, keep believing, and keep trusting God. He is with you always. ❤️ Comment AMEN 🙏 if you believe! #Faith #TrustGod #GodIsGood #JesusChrist #ChristianFaith #Luke137 #Prayer #BibleVerse #ChristianPost #Amen

A Life Rooted in God’s Word “A life rooted in God’s Word may face storms, but it will not be shaken.” Psalm 1:2–3 “But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night... That person is like a tree planted by streams of water.” The strength of a tree is not found only in its branches; it is found in how deeply its roots are established. When the wind blows, the branches may sway. When a great storm comes, branches may break and leaves may fall. But a tree with deep roots will stand firm and will not easily fall. In the same way, the Bible does not say that a Christian life will be free from problems. Storms will come, trials will come, tears will come, and unexpected circumstances will arise. But a heart rooted in God’s Word will not be shaken by those circumstances. In Matthew 7:24–25, Jesus compares the person who hears His words and puts them into practice to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came, the floods rose, and the winds blew against that house—yet it did not fall. Why? Because its foundation was built on the rock. What is the foundation of our life today? Is it money? People? Our abilities? All these things can change. But God’s Word never changes. As roots grow deeper, a tree becomes stronger. In the same way, as God’s Word goes deeper into our hearts, our faith becomes stronger. Therefore, instead of only praying that storms will never come, let us become so deeply rooted in God’s Word that we can stand firm even when the storms come. Even when circumstances change, people change, and we do not know what tomorrow holds, let us hold firmly to what God has spoken. A life rooted in God’s Word may be shaken by the storm, but it can never be uprooted. “Be deeply rooted in God’s Word; no storm in life will be able to shake you.” Hepsi Sam ✍️

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first". Matthew 19:23-30 ✝️🙏