Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

To fully release your potential (27/6/2020)

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” – NIV

Paul was in the middle of discussing spiritual gifts. He brought in the importance of love without which all gifting is worthless. And adds how growth from childhood to manhood changes many things. As earlier noted, we outgrow some habits as we mature. Among them is pettiness of reasoning, thought and action. We see things from a more strategic and broader view.

So much potential been deposited in us by our Creator. He gifted us to serve and help others become the best they were made to be. It is until we outgrow childish mentality and mature that we can be able to realise and fully release our potential in the world. There are things God can’t show or do through a person who has not matured to some level. There is a level of ministry that one can operate in only if they are grown up. And this happens for several other areas in life.

It’s my humble prayer and urge to all that we seek to be the best God made us to be. If not, the world will miss our gifting. Some are preoccupied with things they were never made to do. Others have settled for so little and yet much more is in them to bless the world. Let it not be that when we get to the other side of eternity we realise how much we could have achieved for the glory of God and the blessing of humanity — and yet we didn’t because we didn’t grow into our full potential and gifting. That will be an eternal regret!

Hebrews 5:11-12 “There is much we have to say about this matter, but it is hard to explain to you, because you are so slow to understand. There has been enough time for you to be teachers — yet you still need someone to teach you the first lessons of God’s message. Instead of eating solid food, you still have to drink milk.”

Shalom children of God. Blessed Sunday

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Corinthians 12:4 -7 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” – NIV

Paul dedicated this chapter and others to spiritual gifts. Notice the different kinds of gifts, service and working, but by the same Spirit, Lord and God. All these giftings manifest differently but serve the common good to those being ministered to. The beneficiaries are members of the church and community. The giver is the Holy Spirit, to enable us to serve God and fulfill our purposes in His work.

As these gifts manifest through the believer, and as others partake of it and enjoy the service, it will come out clearly what one’s gift is. And this is when others become witnesses and attest to the work going on in you through your gifting. Such witness helps those still in doubt to confirm and concretise what they have been called to do. It was what people saw Jesus do that they called Him teacher, prophet… He didn’t announce it to them.

Some of what we passionately engage in eventually turns out it was our gifting. As it becomes clear, every endeavor should be made to grow in it and to make your calling and election sure. Everyone has a gift and talent from God through which we serve God and others. The mistake is to be like others and yet your gift is different as Paul noted. Graciously accept being different as you serve others by the Spirit for the common good. That’s the ultimate purpose of God in every person: the common good.

1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things;    do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” – NIV

In the ups and downs of life, many things happen. There are nice and pleasant things. There are nasty and horrible ones too. We fall and rise up, stagger and stabilise. That’s what Israel went through. Even in their worst situations, God still promised to restore them. In the verses above, He asks them to forget the past because He was doing a new thing.

Whatever the past was, good or bad, God gives new chances and beginnings. He is God of another chance who heals, restores, forgives and comforts again. He wipes the past away. Even if the past was good, He has better things ahead. He says do not dwell on the past. The more you dwell on the past, the less you see or perceive the new thing God is doing. From the wasteland, lose, hopelessness, He makes a way and causes a blossom.

Let this encourage you today. God heals and restores the past. Arise from the shadows of the valley, from the guilt and pains of the past. Cast your past to Him. Let God’s light shine upon you. See the new things God is doing in your life. Forget the past. Leave it to Him.

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

Shalom. Peaceful week

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Exodus 3:10-11 “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”” – NIV

Sometimes we have no idea what our purpose in life is. Some keep trying one thing after another, copy others or are just going about their ordinary lives as Moses did. He had settled down as a shepherd of the sheep of his father in law as a career. But God had to speak to him in a dramatic way to show him that there was more He had for Moses to do. God speaks to make plain His purpose which could easily be overshadowed by other life commitments. It’s easy to miss this with so much around us.

To Moses, the call was clear to go and rescue Israel. Saul who became Paul was very settled in what he was doing. But Jesus appeared to show him what He had called and purposed him to do (Acts 9:15-16). That was a turning point for Saul. Even with a driving burden, a passion for what one is doing, and others attesting to what they see in us, God still speaks to clarify purpose. He speaks to say ‘this is what I created you to do.’ After all, we exist for Him, and all we do is to glorify His name.

God speaks through various people, ways and circumstances to everyone. And yet not everything people say they heard is from God. Some have covered up hidden motives and evil demonic ways in the name of God having spoken! Whatever God speaks about your purpose must be in line with His word which acts as the basis of testing to eliminate counterfeit. And when you are sure God has truly spoken, showing your purpose in life, be obedient and do just that. Follow Him.

Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."_ - NIV 

Paul vehemently defended the gospel he preached about Christ as true. So firmly true is it that he made such strong statements of curses for anyone who perverted and preached a different gospel. He noted that some people were deliberately doing this to take them back to salvation through the law. Why such strong words? Because such compromises have eternal consequences.

We are to love, respect and even please others in what we do for encouragement, communion, support and to move together. That’s in God’s will. The dividing line, however, comes when our attempt to please others puts us at enemity with God. This includes sinning, compromising doctrinal matters, breaking fellowship with God because you want to impress men. In that case, as it was for Paul in the scripture above, we have to choose to please God and not men.

Such situations always come – in homes, community, work places, in seeking opportunities, etc. We have to decide, commit and settle it in our hearts that we shall choose to please God. The price may be high, leading to lose of opportunities, friends, facing ridicule, rejection or forfeiting other benefits. Anyone who has lived for God amidst the evils of this world, has paid that price to stand for God. You too, guided by a firm foundation of godly values, can stand. If you decide to please men in such cases, you cease to be a servant of Christ. _

1 Thessalonians 2:4 "Instead, we always speak as God wants us to, because he has judged us worthy to be entrusted with the Good News. We do not try to please people, but to please God, who tests our motives."_

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” – NIV

Solomon had laboured to explain how there is a time for everything under the sun. He now describes how hard people work and wonders what people gain out of it. He concludes that people work to be happy while they live. This is true even today. Whatever people do, they aim at deriving satisfaction and fulfillment from their hard work through earning or utilisation and release of their potential.

The years God gives us in this life are few even if one lived to be a hundred, in comparison to eternity. While we go through much, nice and not very pleasant situations of life, we can enjoy our lives and the blessing of God upon our labours. God promised to bless the work of our hands. To be blessed is to be happy. God’s plans for us are always for welfare and for good, not for evil.

As we live this life and the years God gives us, let’s enjoy them in the Lord. All our endeavors and labours without God will not satisfy. Many think they can do without God and enjoy wealth or the things they possess. Even with all one may posses, without God, nothing really satisfies. It all becomes vanity, like chasing after wind. And yet many are into deception of focusing only on work and possessions without God!

Luke 12:15, 21 “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” … “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 5:27-28 “After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” – NIV

These words were very common from Jesus to whoever He first encountered in His ministry. They were not just calls to join the crowd as they moved along. It was a call to commitment, service and willingness to go all the way with Him. To Levi (Matthew) who was a tax collector, the call meant abandoning his job and going after Jesus for another responsibility. The same happened to the other disciples who left what they were doing to follow Jesus.

We are called to follow. This means accepting His leading, following His example, footsteps and mentorship, and going wherever He goes, facing the challenges He faces, enjoying the things He enjoys. In following Him is safety and life. We trust that He is not misleading us. He asks us to learn from Him. This can only happen with keen following.

One is called to first consider what it takes to follow; denying oneself, taking up the cross and a daily walk (Luke 9:23). But the promise is clear, that He will be with us all the way through the valley of the shadows of death, and the mountain top experience of joy, peace, provision and comfort. His voice still comes to each one of us saying, ‘Follow me.’ And when you decide to follow, do not look back. He has no pleasure in those who turn back.

John 10:3-4 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.”

Shalom children of God.