In discovering the wonderful truth about faith, don’t make the mistake of thinking all your problems will instantly vanish the moment you are born again. Many Christians see God’s promises in the Bible and assume they can simply float around on a “faith cloud.” The Bible makes it very clear that we have a real enemy to contend with in this life. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan will try to come against you with sickness, oppression, and poverty – the very things Jesus died to redeem you from. But if you’ll refuse to listen to his lies and stand firm on God’s Word, you’ll rise above every circumstance.
The most important thing a new believer needs to be aware of is that Satan’s favorite and most insidious tactic is to steal the Word from your heart.
Jesus exposed this method in the parable of the sower and the seed. “When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart” (Matt. 13:18-19).
It is vital that new believers recognize that they have an enemy who is out to steal the Word from their hearts.
Excerpt permission granted by Mac Hammond Ministries
Mac and Lynne Hammond are senior pastors of Living Word in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, which they started in 1980. Many outreaches and ministries have launched from Living Word since that time, including Maranatha Christian Academy, a Pre-K through grade 12 school with nearly 900 in attendance, and Living Free Recovery Services, a licensed outpatient treatment program.
Most recently, Mac and Lynne have launched a vision to plant fifty churches across the globe in the next five years. As of August 2024, nine churches have been planted in the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, and Guatemala with construction underway for seven more churches in El Salvador, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Prior to becoming a pastor, Mac was a pilot. He served in the Air Force, served two tours of duty in Southeast Asia, and was honorably discharged in 1970 with the rank of Captain. Between 1970 and 1980, Mac was involved in varying capacities in the general aviation industry, including ownership of a successful air cargo business serving the Midwestern United States. A business acquisition brought the Hammonds to Minneapolis, where they ultimately founded Living Word. Currently, Mac is the host of The Winner’s Way and The Winner’s Minute broadcasts and the author of several internationally distributed books. Mac is broadly acclaimed for his ability to apply the principles of the Bible to practical situations and the challenges of daily living.