Category: Daily Devotionals

SERIOUS FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." - NIV

Have you ever thought about eternity? This is a period of time beyond measure, time without end. One can’t even talk in terms of known units of measurement like billions, trillions, quadrillions  of years, because that’s already measurable, however unfathomable it is to our little limited human minds.

To enable some slight understanding of eternity, someone once illustrated it this way: Consider the smallest ant, on a mission to move the whole earth to the farthest star in the universe. The farthest star so far known is about 9 billion light years away from earth. A light year is the distance light travels in one year. In one second, light travels at 299,792KMs. One year has over 31.5 million seconds. So in one year, light moves over 9.4trillion KMs. To the farthest star, it’s that distance multiplied 9billion times. That’s already beyond the range of our computations and numbering.

Even with modern supersonic jets, traveling at thousands of KMs per hour, such a  journey is endless. How much more a little ant? And knowing how much the ant carries, when will it complete shifting the entire 6×10^24Kg mass of planet earth? Mission impossible! And yet one day it will complete it. But eternity would have just began!

God’s word teaches that all of us will spend eternity somewhere. There are only two destinies, heaven or hell determined by our decisions here on earth. Heaven is a place of great joy and peace for those to whom Jesus is Savior and Lord. Their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Hell is a place of extreme torment for those who rejected Jesus Savior and Lord Jesus. Please give serious thought to the question of where you will spend eternity. Choose to spend it in heaven by choosing Jesus the way. That’s God’s will for all of us.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."

Shalom children of God. 

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Ecclesiastes 9:11 "I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift  or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant  or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." - NIV

Solomon pondered over life and death. He observed that there is a time for everything done under the sun. He now discusses a seeming paradox, that it is not always the swift who win races, nor the strong who win battles, nor the wise who have enough to eat, nor the brilliant who are wealthy. But a common denominator for every human being is that time chance happens to all.

This is common reality. One reason this contradiction happens in life is that people want to be like others and not what God created them to be. So much imitation and comparisons go on in life. We want to be like others, yet everyone’s time and chance is different. We fail if we assume someone’s time and chance is also ours. In God’s time and chance for you, everything is made beautiful.

So many miss out their own time and opportunities by shifting for focus on other people’s opportunities. As we get into a new season of another year, spend time understanding what God has in store for you, your opportunities, openings and timing. However strong, swift, wise or brilliant you may be, if you are out of tune with God’s time and chance for you, you fail!

Ecclesiastes 3:1,11"Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses… He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does."

Shalom children of God. Happy new year!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 40:29-31 "He gives strength to the weary  and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - NIV

Man on his own is limited in wisdom, knowledge and strength. Youth is the epitome of human strength. At that stage, so much can be accomplished. But God knows that such strength too, is limited. People who entirely rely on their abilities eventually become weary, tired, stumble and fall, including the youth and the strongest of men. At the peak of their strength, humans can be deceived to think they can do anything, become arrogant and rebellious.

There is so much we go through in this life that drains our strength. As a result, so many are exhausted, broken down, burnt out and even depressed. God calls us to trust Him. He alone can renew our strength when we have come to the end of our abilities. There is a limit to human strength however much people try. Soon, reality catches up.

But with God, we can go on and on, running and not growing weary, walking and not fainting, till we accomplish our goals and come to the end of life’s journey. Are you weary and tired? Never give up. Come to Him. The promise of renewal of strength is to those who acknowledge their limits, and deliberately trust and look up to Him. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
Genesis 2:18 "And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." NIV

After God made all the good things in creation, he made Adam. Still the man was incomplete. And God Himself said so. God created man, male and female, in His own image. He gave them dominion to rule over His creation (Gen 1:26-28). Man and woman are co-heirs in God’s kingdom. Without woman, man cannot fulfill his creation mandate from God. Both were made in God’s image, in the likeness of God. These are profound truths God set from the beginning.

After the fall of man, the devil twisted God’s original intention in the minds of men, making woman seem inferior and subordinate to man. He has done this through cultures and traditions down the millennia. To date, millions of women are treated as inferior beings, sex objects and slaves, dependant on men, less than men, less deserving, and subjected to many dehumanising practices. Many girls grow up thinking that is what they are made for!

The desire to be lose from these oppressive demonic vices and enable women realise and live out their God given potential, gave rise to women emancipation movements, special day to recognise women, women representation in governments, and other women groups and organisations fighting for women rights. Until you experience your freedom first in God, these attempts fall short good as they are.

The rise of women into various positions of influence in governments, church and society has proved the worth and abilities they have to co-manage with man. Whereas Jesus did not appoint women to be among the twelve disciples, it’s no doubt He valued them contrary the Jewish traditions then, and women were very much behind His successful ministry, upto the cross, at the resurrection and at the upper room when the church was being ushered into the world.

Woman, you are special to God and in His creation work and the world. Jesus came to restore the dignity of women. In Him you find your true position and liberty. Rise up, walk with your head high and take your place in humility and respect in society and the church.

Galatians 3:26-28 "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Shalom children of God. Happy women’s day.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Proverbs 8:1-4 "Does not wisdom call out?  Does not understanding raise her voice? At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud: “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind." - NIV

Wisdom is ability to use knowledge in a proper and reasonable manner, thus arriving at good sense of judgement and decisions. Knowledge is information or a mental understanding or awareness of something. It is not enough to just have knowledge without rightly applying it to solve problems and make life better.

The wise man Solomon personifies wisdom, who is calling out to all people. Wisdom is needed where people meet, interact, solve problems and make decisions. Since life is about knowing how to rightly approach situations, make decisions and manage human relationships (some of which are very complicated), it means wisdom is key. All that happens in this world is a result of knowledge and wisdom, or lack of it.

Kings, leaders and lay people, young and old alike, need wisdom. Effective leadership at any level combines wisdom, power and authority. Knowledge without godly wisdom is corrupted and destructive. The world reels in pain and shame at the hands of fools who reject wisdom! Hear the man who had tasted and known the necessity and sweetness of wisdom:

"Get wisdom and insight! Do not forget or ignore what I say. Do not abandon wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will keep you safe. Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight." (Proverbs 4:5-7)

Shalom children of God.