Author: james chasez

In His Image

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

The Hebrew root words for ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ mean resemblance, representative figure, manner, similitude. Image and likeness, therefore, not only imply appearance and form, but also include character qualities and functioning as well. Man was made in God’s image and likeness, meaning we resemble Him, we are His representative figure, similar to Him, possess same character traits and operate in like manner as Him. God breathed the breath of life to man. He put His Spirit, what makes Him God, to man so he functions like God. With God’s attributes in him, man was then commissioned to manage the earth and all in it as God would manage. This is a profound mystery about the nature of man. Unfortunately, the fall of man distorted God’s original intent purpose.

Jesus came in human form to restore us to God’s original position before the fall. But sin has so pavaded human nature that the reality of who we were created to be appears like a myth. The truth of living the God kind of life here now sounds impossible to many. Even those who profess faith in Christ are still shrouded in the distorted fallen nature, shaped and controlled by the basic principles of this world. But as many as believe in Him, and choose to walk in the truths of who they really are in the new and higher life Jesus gave us, will reflect the image and manifest the likeness of God Himself. As He is, so are we in this world (1John 4:17).

Beloved, this is our heritage in Christ. It is no sacrilegious statement to say we can be like Christ Jesus. The bible says so ( Matt 10:24-25, Eph 4:13). That is why Jesus promised that those who believe in Him would do the same things He did, and even greater (John 14:12). He gave them the right and power to be called sons of God (John 1:12). Let’s rise to be who we were created to be.

2 Peter 1.3-4 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Shalom children of God.

The Log vs the Speck

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 7.3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus was teaching against passing judgment on others. To judge is to form an opinion about someone or something, and conclude it as right or wrong. Such assessments are based on ones’ beliefs, values, desires and character informed by their environment and knowledge acquired over time. Good judgment guides good decisions, and vice versa. Nevertheless, man’s fallen nature makes his view of things unbalanced. Knowledge of God’s word should always guide our judgement of things and others.

Jesus is discouraging passing judgment over others’ weaknesses from a ‘holier-than-thou’ position, while ignoring one’s own fatal weaknesses. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. A plank or a log in one’s eye is a huge fault they posses. The speck is a tiny fault in the others. With these huge weaknesses informing opinions over others, one is not in right position to objectively see and offer meaningful help to another. Whatever help offered in that state will be skewed, not objective, truthful or in love with a view of helping. It’s destructive instead. Neither should this be an excuse for one not to correct others, nor those in the wrong to reject correction based on God’s word.

We are called to correct others in love. Love has with it the humility and not the judgemental approach. It gives the right view of others from God’s perspective. It recognises that we are what we are by God’s grace. What we see and conclude about others, is not how God sees. Only God sees the heart, the motives and intentions why people do things the way they do. To us, some appear evil, yet God sees a genuine person. True judgment is best left to God who knows the true state of peoples hearts. Let’s learn from how Jesus did it:

John 5:30 “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”
John 8:15-16 “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.
But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.”

Shalom children of God.

What Keeps God With You?

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Chronicles15:2 “He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”

God has promised never to leave nor forsake us. But by virtue of His nature and character attributes of truth, righteousness, holiness and justice, He expects us to do similarly so that He remains with us. Over and over again in the bible, God mentioned the kind of lives men ought to live for Him to be with them. Indeed He was true to His word and abandoned them whenever they forsook His ways and did evil. The word of the Lord came to king Asa through prophet Azariah, emphasising God’s commitment to be with those who are with Him.

Many have assumed God’s presence with them even when they are living in evil or concealing sin. In His grace and mercy, God gives people opportunity to forsake their evil ways and turn to Him. He will still protect, provide and guide them. This is mistaken by some to be an endorsement of their evil ways by God. They take God for granted as did Israel when God pleaded and warned them for long to stop sinning. Finally, He handed them over to their enemies who cruelly tormented them. Apostle Peter warned that we shouldn’t think God is weak in keeping His promises (and threats), but He is patiently waiting to save all (2 Peter 3:9).

Friends, don’t take God’s presence for granted. Live in such a manner that pleases and brings glory to Him to maintain it. Some have lost His presence and don’t even know, like Samson (Judges 16:20). They operate on presumption and mechanically act out God’s presence! The glory departed and they now have a semblance of it! He will be with you as long as you deliberately walk with Him.

2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Colossians 1:10 “… And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…”

Shalom children of God. Have a blessed week in God’s presence.

His Presence Makes the Whole Difference

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Exodus 33:14-15 “The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

They were still on their journey from Egypt to Canaan land. Moses had been away in the mountain with God for one of the longest times. Aaron circumed to pressure from the people to make gods to lead them (?) since they didn’t know what had happened to Moses (and his God). An idol was made and worshiped. This greatly provoked God’s anger and He threatened to destroy them. He also wanted to withdraw His presence from among them. Moses, understanding what God’s presence meant to them, passionately petitioned God not to leave them, or else they wouldn’t take even one more step in the journey.

To Israel (and to us too), God with them meant protection from fierce enemies, provision of all needs, guidance in all endeavours, peace, progress and life itself. The Psalmist stated many dangers they faced if God was not on their side. He said their enemies would have consumed them (Psalm 124:1-5). David said in the presence of God is joy and pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11). When God seemed to have left him following the sin against Uriah and his wife, one of David’s key prayers was that God would not cast him away from His presence (Psalm 51:11). Jesus on the cross cried out to His Father asking why He had forsaken Him. David said he would not fear going through the valley of death shadows because God was with him.

His presence means life and everything to us. It’s important that we remain with Him more than gain the whole world without God, since even those things we gain are meaningless without Him. May that be your prayer and commitment, to ever live in His presence. “Without me”, Jesus said, “you can do nothing.”(John 15:5).

Psalms 27:4 “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”

Shalom children of God.

What Defines You?

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 12:15 “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The world and nature categorizes people according to age, sex, race, skin colour, ethnicity, social, economic, intellectual statuses, religious inclination, and so on. These attributes are used to define who we are and form the basis of treatment. The less privileged recieve less attention than those considered superior. Some have believed they are less important than others and vice versa and behave so.

Some of the inequalities and conflicts and their attendant consequences in society are a result of these beliefs. This is why people struggle, compete and fight to acquire things and positions because they belief they define who they are. Such attitudes drive men into all kinds of greed as Jesus warned in the scipture above.

Be that as it may, our Creator God has a far superior and common definition of us. We are His beloved people, created in His image for His good purposes. A good identity is an inherent human need, and we can only find it in the God Who made us. Anything or anyone else cannot give us our true identity. Only God will. Our lives cannot be defined by the abundance of things as the rich fool in the parable thought to himself.

Dear friends, even as we seek after these things, let’s not allow them to define who we are. What God says about us is what we truly are and is discovered in our relationship with Him. Regardless of our state, what we posses or don’t posses, God looks at us as His people, called by His name, fearfully and wonderfully made. You can walk with your head high, and yet in confident humility before God, if you know who you are.

John 1:12-13 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Shalom children of God. Have a great weekend.

Do Good to All

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 25:35-36,40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’… “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”

Jesus in this teaching related how service in the kingdom of God is viewed, and how it will be at the judgment. It reveals what is in the heart of God in feeling and caring for suffering humanity. All the categories of people listed are needy, disadvantaged or under privileged – the hungry, homeless, sick, imprisoned, elderly, children, disabled. They are God’s precious people, even though they may be the least in the sight of men. Jesus called them His brothers. Such are plentious all around us, giving an opportunity to minister to the Lord through them.

By being sensitive to them, thinking about and meeting their needs, you become an extension of God’s hand to them. Some of these people may be burdensome to others because of prolonged abnormal conditions needing continuous support. Their plight touches God’s heart. If we have His kind of heart, we should similarly be touched by the suffering of others and always avail ourselves to do good to them. Practicing compassionate care not only meets their needs, but it also qualifies one to inherit God’s kingdom(V.34).

Let’s seek to genuinely meet the needs of people we meet. Everyone is needy at one point or another, and everyone has something they can offer to meet someone else’ need. That’s powerful ministry to God and humanity.

Proverbs 19.17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”

1 John 3:17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Shalom children of God.

Whatever He tells you, do it:
The call to childlike obedience

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

John 2.5 “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” – NIV

They were attending a wedding in Cana. Jesus had not gone into public ministry yet. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother came to inform Him about it. Jesus told her He had nothing to do with it, and that His time had not yet come. Any way, by faith, she went ahead to preempt Him by telling the servants there to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Jesus instructed the servants to fill the big water jars with water. They did. He asked them to draw the water (now turned into wine)and take to the master of ceremonies. They did. Whatever He told them to do, they simply did that.

What God tells us to do, however crazy and humanly illogical it may appear, only requires our simple obedience. He asks us to do our part. And He does His. We may not know everything, how things will work out to produce the results we expect or desire, but we can only obediently believe and trust His word. The key is to be sure you heard Him, an not assume.
God still operates that way. He requires our simple obedience to whatever He instructs us to do. He asked Lazarus’ sisters to roll away the stone at his tomb before He raised Lazarus.

Before He does whatever He wants to do for and through us, God wants simple obedience without much complication just as a child will obey without much logical reasoning. Does God want us to operate like puppets? No. He gave us the brains and minds to think and rationalise issues. But there are things beyond reason that requires simple obedience in faith for Him to act. When we so do, His limitless power is released to work on our behalf. Trust Him. He never misleads.

Trust and obey,
there us no other way,
to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.” – KJV

Shalom children of God.

Fear

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

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Proverbs 29.25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” – NIV

Fear is such a strong force that has caused unimaginable things to happen or fail to happen. People fear for various reasons, good or bad, such as rejection, lose of possessions, uncertainties, harm or lose of life. Good fear is reverential fear of God. Bad fear is any other apart from the fear of God. We respond to what we fear. That’s why the scripture above says when we fear man, it proves to be a snare. It leads to bondage. You cease to be yourself and do things you wouldn’t normally do or things contrary to your values and beliefs. Fear suppresses release of your potential and gifting. It puts you in a box. Some people thrive on imposing fear on others.

The fear of God liberates. It makes us hate evil and ushers us into our God set destiny. It builds communion that secures and empowers us to be what we were created to be. As we reflect upon our lives, there are probably many good things we have missed, opportunities lost, connections unsecured, projects and dreams never attempted… all because of fear. Although it is good to be cautious about certain things, fear will paralyze even the obviously clear. God desires to set us free from the fear of man. This doesn’t mean arrogant rebellion. We should give due respect to all in the fear of God.

The scripture above gives one antidote to fear; trust in the Lord. We don’t know what lies ahead. But we trust the One Who holds our future. He will not fail us. And so we face tomorrow and every scary situation with confidence. With this confidence, we can face tough situations and resist even the mightiest of men if what they want to push us to is contrary to God’s will and purpose. Is your fear toward God or man centred?

Psalms 27.1-3 “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

Shalom children of God.

Distinguish Yourself

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Daniel 6.3-4 “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”

Daniel, a Jew in exile in a heathen Babylonian/Medo-Persian kingdom, was now serving under king Darius. He was privileged to be among 127 administrators appointed to manage government affairs and reporting to the king. Daniel DISTINQUISHED himself in his service by the qualities he had that the king got impressed and planned to make him govern the whole kingdom so that he wouldn’t suffer loss. Daniel’s key quality was integrity in administration which was guided by his deep relationship with God. Even with a planned move to trap him by his colleagues, they found no grounds of corruption, mistrust or negligence of duty.
Corruption is as old as the fall of man. But Daniel’s story teaches us that with God’s help and personal purpose of heart, one can live above corruption and be exceptional in service wherever they are placed. It’s a choice. And God honors those decisions we make to stand in integrity for His name’s sake. We live in an increasingly wicked world. Evil is the norm. But we can distinguish ourselves, stand out of the crowd of evil doers like Daniel amidst all this wickedness. It is sad that some of those who identify themselves with God are part of the messes and scandals instead of being solutions in society today!

Can it be said of you as a Christian, called by the name of a righteous, just and holy God, wherever you are serving, that you are “… trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”? In your various work placements, may you purpose to be one. Decide and be willing to pay any price to distinguish yourself for God’s sake. And God will give the enablement to do so.

Genesis 39.9 “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Shalom children of God. Have a distinguished week of work

Where is Your Foundation?

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 7.24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

It had been a very long sermon on the mountain side, to a large crowd that gathered to listen to Him. As He concluded, well knowing how people choose to respond, Jesus made the statement above. There are those who take seriously what they listen to and act on it, while others take it lightly, ignore or despise what they hear. The word has been, and continues to be preached through various means daily. How we choose to respond determines whether we have laid the foundation of our lives on the rock or sand. Some may claim to have laid their foundation on God and yet not so in reality.

The rock represents Jesus, the rock of our salvation. Sand stands for anything else apart from Christ in which men put their trust. These includes material things, money, self achievements, or other people. The only difference between the two is whether one puts into practice what they heard or not. They both listen to the same word, from the same source. Both categories of people were faced with the test conditions; the rain, the storms, the winds blowing and beating against the house. The one laid on the rock stands while the one on sand falls.

A foundation is hidden, but determines the strength of the house. It doesn’t lie when the moment of truth strikes. Only the trials of life will tell. Like it or not, the challenges of life come to all. In Christ, you are not exempted from tough situations. But the basis of our faith makes us stand and not fall. All other grounds (read things we trust) are sinking sand. They may not help in the trials of life. Is your life truly founded on the rock? If not, you can lay it on Christ today, by making Him Lord of your life.

Matthew 7.26-27 “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Jesus.

Shalom children of God.