Have You Forgotten? (Devotional 04/03)

Hebrews 13:17 (KJV)
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

One of the quietest yet most dangerous forms of spiritual deception is resenting the very servant God used to lead you to salvation. You may not say it out loud, but your heart begins to shift. That honor and gratitude you once had starts to grow cold.

You start focusing on the flaws of the servant rather than the fruit of the servant. 

You begin to compare. You begin to critique. You begin to distance. You say things like, “I follow Jesus, not man,” forgetting that God chose to reveal Jesus to you through that man.

The person who planted your freedom should never become the target of your resentment. But sadly, Satan works to disconnect you from the servant. 

Romans 10:14 (KJV) says:
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

It is God’s design that salvation flows through the lips of the servant. You didn’t save yourself. You didn’t wake up one day and just believe. Someone fought for you. Someone prayed for you. Someone sacrificed comfort, time, and sleep so that you could hear the gospel clearly.

But Satan works subtly. He gets you to start picking apart the servant. You say, “They’re not that special.”

You focus on personality instead of purpose.

You look for faults instead of fruit.

The same spirit that lifts you out of hell can’t be honored when your heart is full of pride.

But I want to tell you guys something...Indeed, Salvation Came Through the Gospel, but the Gospel Was Delivered Through the Servant. 

It usually starts when we feel overlooked. Someone else gets acknowledged. Another brother or sister seems more “used” by God. And slowly, we start to harden. Instead of rejoicing in the gospel, we seek position, recognition, or platform.

The root is not offense but pride. We begin to believe that we deserve the attention, the leadership, or the spotlight. But we fail to realize that in God’s kingdom, the one who is least is the greatest. The one who serves is the one who leads.

You may think you’re “just speaking your opinion,” but in reality, you’re despising the very order that God has established. And Satan is smiling while division begins.

Deuteronomy 8:11 (KJV) says:
“Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments...”

Forgetting is not just failing to remember, it’s refusing to honor. You can still go to church, read your Bible, and pray, say the you're righteous and holy, but if you dishonor the vessel God used to rescue you, your spiritual life becomes blocked.

You can’t walk in fullness when you resent the one who fully poured out their life so you could live.

If you dishonor the delivery man, you dishonor the package too.

I challenge you all to Ask yourself:

  • Do I speak about my pastor or leader with honor?
  • Do I remember the tears, labor, and sacrifice they made for my salvation?
  • Am I silently and internally competing, comparing, or criticizing?
  • Do I uplift the church body or divide it with subtle discontent and resentment/questioning?

Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that the servant watches over your soul. You may feel overlooked, but they’ve been in spiritual warfare for your life. To cause them grief is not only harmful to them but unprofitable for you.

If you resent the servant in any way:

  1. Repent and Acknowledge It: Bring it to God honestly. He already sees it. And trust him above your thoughts. 
  2. Restore Honor: Speak blessings over the one God used for you. Thank God aloud for their life.
  3. Protect Unity: Don’t entertain gossip. Don’t plant seeds of doubt in others.
  4. Refocus on the Gospel: Remember, it was never about building your kingdom. It’s always been about Jesus.

God’s servants are not perfect but they were perfect for your salvation.

They came in God's perfect timing to deliver his perfect message that then led you to realize your perfect identity in Christ. We should never forget this. 

It is the gospel that saved a wretch like you, and a servant who delivered it. I hope we can honor both the message and the messenger in our hearts. 

I hope we can return to humility through conviction. To honor those who’ve fought for your soul. To see that the body of Christ thrives not through competition but through love, submission, and gratitude.

Amen and Selah

How To Cure Deep Trauma, Abuse, and Church Hurt | #003 | Unlearned Wisdom Podcast

Today in episode 3 of my new podcast, we talk about facing deep trauma, healing from church hurt, and learning to forgive what once felt unforgivable. The gospel can cure it all when we put full faith in God. 
🎙️ Watch/Listen to Unlearned Wisdom on every platform: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/unlearnedwisdom⁠⁠

Timestamps:
00:00 - Johnny Chang on facing trauma with faith
01:30 - Johnny Chang overwhelmed sharing his testimony
05:30 - Pastor Kim is the only one who believed
10:24 - Turning church hurt into deeper healing
15:10 - Why Johnny Chang says healing takes time
17:05 - Forgiving the unforgivable through God’s eyes
23:23 - How trauma can turn into victim mindset
25:30 - Johnny Chang’s fear of freedom
27:22 - A mother’s faith during hopelessness
28:41 - Johnny Chang on leaving the past behind through Christ
30:04 - Healing through boundaries
32:47 - Tough love in recovery
35:30 - “You’re nothing” the truth humbled Johnny Chang
39:09 - One negative comment can derail your identity
41:33 - Finding support when you have no mentor
45:18 - King David’s trauma and spiritual victory
48:53 - Johnny Chang on healing by helping others
51:08 - No longer defined by trauma or pain
54:09 - Replacing trauma with gospel-centered hope
56:30 - Recognizing the enemy’s voice in your thoughts
01:00:37 - Johnny Chang on sharing pain without trauma dumping 01:06:39 - Why God allows trauma: Johnny Chang responds
01:10:58 - Praising God through pain and suffering
01:12:49 - The church’s role in emotional healing
01:16:08 - The importance of a gospel-centered community
01:18:30 - How to trust God after losing a sibling
01:23:00 - How to make amends with someone you hurt
01:26:30 - Is Trump the Antichrist? Johnny Chang responds
01:28:24 - Embracing new identity after deep trauma
01:31:30 - Overcoming trauma through Jesus

👾 Join my free Discord to submit your question for a future episode: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/nTuvmutSsU⁠⁠
🐉 Follow Johnny Chang everywhere: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/johnnychang⁠⁠
🫶 Donate to support our Core of the Heart ministries: ⁠⁠https://coreoftheheart.com/pages/donate⁠⁠

💙 For those that want to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible & get closer with God, to unlock true peace and happiness: ⁠⁠https://coreoftheheart.com/
🕊️ Use code WISDOM for 50% off your first month. ⁠⁠

Core of the Heart is our digital community to support you in getting closer to the true Gospel. Membership includes: Weekly Bible Class with Minister Johnny, hundreds of hours of livestream content, sermons, Q&A's and resources to help you understand the Bible faster.

Sign up help here: ⁠⁠⁠https://shorturl.at/ZuAFD⁠⁠

Ps. Don't forget to subscribe to this new channel!

Image
1:29:19

The Importance of Healing Offense, Boundaries, and True Salvation According to Scripture (Livestream VOD 63, 03/31/2025)

Join to access

Leviticus 14 Hang Out Session (Join After Bible Class!)

Purus fermentum purus, enim faucibus diam amet ultricies ornare enim. Eu, sed vel nunc enim, sollicitudin vitae ut. Dolor augue congue fermentum euismod donec. Leo lectus...
Join to access

Leviticus 14 Bible Class Today @ 11AM PST

Purus fermentum purus, enim faucibus diam amet ultricies ornare enim. Eu, sed vel nunc enim, sollicitudin vitae ut. Dolor augue congue fermentum euismod donec. Leo lectus...
Join to access
Image
1:49:44

An Explanation on Leper's Cleansing Law, Christs Sacrifice, Baptism, and Oil Representing the Holy Spirits (Leviticus 14 Bible Class)

Join to access

Bible Study Reminder: Saturday (Tomorrow, 3/29) at 11 AM PST

Reminder that Bible Class is back at its regular time this week, Saturday morning (tomorrow) at 11 AM PST

You must be a Tier 2 or Tier 3 member to attend.
Use code STUDY50 for 50% off your first month

🍎 If you attended the NYC event, check your text messages or the COTH app. We sent you code for one month FREE.

Sign Up Instructions Here

"What is Bible Class???"

The Bible Class is for those that want to get a deeper understanding of the Bible, in a shorter amount of time. 

It's a live class on Zoom where Minister Johnny does a deep dive on 1 chapter of the Bible. If you'd like to see what its like before joining, you can watch all the free previews here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/XYT24CpqfFw?si=xQ3m3bzK-uOGrLq_

Please come prepared to learn :) 

Here is the Bible Class prep check list

Before I Went Viral on Soft White Underbelly | #002 | Unlearned Wisdom

In this interview, I share all the details of my early Christian walk and how God shaped me into the Minister you all see today. 

Before any of you discovered me from any "viral" video or interview (like Soft White Underbelly, Hood stocks, Delafe, Jubileee, etc)...There was 8 years of learning how to live true spiritual life. It was not easy.

Episode 2 is out NOW. New episode every Monday. Don't forget to subscribe!

🎙️ Watch/Listen to Unlearned Wisdom on every platform: ⁠https://linktr.ee/unlearnedwisdom⁠

Timestamps:
00:00 - First meal out: Korean BBQ tears
02:00 - Intro to Johnny’s 8-year journey
05:00 - Meeting Pastor Kim through his mom
06:15 - Church by day, gang by night
08:50 - Going all-in with church life
10:18 - Pastor offers escape from the streets
11:12 - Living in church but still armed
12:23 - Gang turns on Johnny’s new faith
13:17 - Trading gang status for salvation
15:00 - Church dorm life & early prayers
19:14 - Scrubbing toilets tests Johnny’s pride
21:00 - Pastor calls out closed-off heart
24:53 - Opening up builds trust with pastor
26:00 - Humbling himself to become teachable
29:50 - Learning forgiveness after gang war
33:28 - Wrestling with salvation and sin cycles
36:34 - Overcoming temptation with scripture truth
40:30 - Using God’s word against deception
47:42 - Setting boundaries to guard his flesh
51:32 - Mentors show grace through near relapse
1:26:52 - Viral Soft White Underbelly interview
1:32:00 - Testimony spreads to strangers and enemies
1:37:15 - From inmate to Minister through grace

NYC After Service Livestream Link !!!

Purus fermentum purus, enim faucibus diam amet ultricies ornare enim. Eu, sed vel nunc enim, sollicitudin vitae ut. Dolor augue congue fermentum euismod donec. Leo lectus...
Join to access
Image
2:54:05

After Service: New York City Livestream

Join to access