Hey,

I don’t know you personally, so I’ll keep this straightforward. I’m praying for you right now. I’m genuinely glad you see your wrongs and want to fix them. That kind of honest self-awareness and hunger for God’s restoration? Guard it with everything you’ve got. It’s solid evidence your soul is alive in Christ.

If you’ve read my older essay “God Rekindles Smoldering Wicks,” you already know I once wrestled with crushing depression—close enough to the edge that suicide looked like an escape hatch. I know the war inside the soul. The only thing that pulled me out was a relentless, daily feast on God’s promises and His unbreakable definition of me as His child in Jesus. I still chew on those verses almost every single day. They’re my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Vincent Cheung gave me that basic but life-saving advice, and it worked.

That same fire led me to take the Lord’s Supper often, reminding me I don’t give to God—God gives to me. He is my rich supplier, by great benefactor, my breadwinner, my Savor in all things. That is the gospel. I stack faith-filled devotions and materials into my routine throughout times a day, with faith confessions and praying in tongues. It’s not complicated—it’s fuel for the soul. Your inner man is not made strong by your love to God, but by you receiving how much God loves you (Eph 3).

Which brings me to something that jumped out in your note: that line about being a “good little Clark or Cheung.” It concerned me, brother. It sounded like your mind defaults to men first, not God. I’m not calling your salvation into question, but in my experience, when folks talk that way, the natural drift of their thoughts is still man-centered instead of centered on Jesus sitting on His throne. If you want out of the pit—and to stay out—you’ve got to put off that old man and put on the new one. Renew your mind until it becomes second nature to see yourself as a prince standing boldly in the very throne room of Almighty God.

When I was clawing my way out of that darkness, I didn’t obsess over Vincent, Clark, or any other teacher. I pounded my mind with Scripture until God’s Word became the loudest voice in the room. From that foundation I prayed and confessed exactly what God says I am and everything He’s already blessed me with. I also learned to stand in faith and command demonic oppression and lying thoughts to leave in Jesus’ name. I could have memorized every word Vincent Cheung ever wrote, but when I approach the Father, none of that matters. What matters is that I see myself as the righteousness of God in Christ, so that this throne is a throne of grace and favor for me. Vincent, Clark, nor any man can help me or do this for me; they cannot do this for you either. What matters are the gospel-bought promises and the immovable stance of faith in them. When I step into that majestic throne room—surrounded by spiritual beings, saints, and angels—I come clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, who loves me exactly as He loves His own Son. That’s my faith. That’s my victory shout. You need to get to this place: approaching God feels more natural and reflexive than running to any human advisor.

Both through a divine vision God gave me and through Vincent’s counsel, I shifted my study diet. I still love theology—God commands us all to pursue it—but my greater focus became building inner spiritual strength through faith-based devotionals.

Systematic Theology is easy. Seriously, it’s super easy! (This doesn’t mean there isn’t an occasional point where it can feel a little complicated.) The older I get, the more I realize this. Once you know it, no one and no demon can steal it from you. Men shouldn’t strut around like they’ve conquered Everest for simply grasping God’s absolute sovereignty. It’s as simple as “All things are things directly and absolutely controlled by God.” This is a major premise of a syllogism that a five-year-old can grasp and apply in basic deduction. So it’s not an intellectual point to boast about—because it’s that easy. Should you boast about adding 2 + 2 = 4? Sure, if you’re a five-year-old.

But faith? Ah, now that’s something worth boasting about—because God Himself boasts about it! If you have faith like the heroes in Hebrews 11, the world wasn’t worthy to know them. That’s the kind of life worth boasting about.

Remember the Gentile woman or the Roman centurion? Jesus basically said, “This isn’t My will right now,” yet they grabbed the blessing anyway with raw, stubborn faith. And what did God do? He publicly praised them! With that kind of faith, God will boast about you. Think about that for a second. Instead of wasting breath boasting about teachers or systems, live so boldly in God’s promises that the King of the universe stands up from His throne, points His finger at you, and brags on you. His approval is the only praise worth chasing. Be a hero of faith.

Every day I still read devotionals from those “health-and-wealth, word-of-faith” preachers everyone loves to mock. I don’t recommend them for deep systematic theology (that’s where my book Systematic Theology 2025 – and Vincent’s work shine), but for taking God’s promises of faith, healing, deliverance, and blessing with deadly seriousness? They’re the only crew doing it right. They believe the Bible means what it says. I also want to give you permission to believe Jesus. The faithless will do all they can to tell you that Jesus did not really mean what He said. But I am here to tell you, “Yes—God did say.” You have my permission to believe Him, even when the faithless will not.

Vincent encouraged me to step away from my old Reformed church and zero in on spiritual strength through God’s Word and faith materials. That counsel, plus the vision God gave me, changed everything. I pass the same advice to you. It’s not a side quest—it’s the main highway out of the pit, the guardrail that keeps you out, and the launchpad that plants you on the mountaintop where God grabs your hand and delivers you from every trouble. He promised it. He sealed it in blood because He wanted to. He likes you.

Listen closely: God’s promises aren’t polite suggestions. They are the technical definition of who His children are. Think carefully about this! They are you! Turn your mind to this truth until it’s automatic. When those promises—seeing yourself in your new identity—become second nature, you’ll suddenly find yourself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with God on Mount Zion, looking down on every problem like it’s already defeated. God will point to the endless horizon and say, “All of this is yours.” Fix your eyes on the Jesus of the Gospels and Acts—He never left. He’s right there waiting for you.

So rise up, prince. Stop settling for man’s applause when the Father is ready to boast about you. Grab those promises with both hands, stand in the throne room, and watch God show off how much He loves to celebrate His faithful ones.

In the conquering name of Jesus, Oshea Davis