Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 "Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." - NIV

Paul was guiding on how to help one caught in an offense, and the need to forgive so that they are not overwhelmed by sorrow. This would open a way for Satan who would take advantage and succeed in his plans against the believers.

Such is the way of the devil. He is a schemer. Jesus defeated him in a decisive once and forever victory on the cross and at His resurrection. He disarmed Satan of the power he had attained by tricking man in the garden of eden. At His ascension, Jesus boldly declared that all power in heaven and earth had been given to Him. He in turn gave back to man what was his from the begining. Now we are victorious over the devil through Christ. Hallelujah!

But why does this still elude us as we see alot of manifestation of satan’s successful manipulations? Because of his scheming which outwits even the believer in battle. Therefore, Paul’s counsel is very important, that we become aware of these schemes of Satan so that we are not defeated in a battle already won by Jesus for us. We shall explore more of these for our own victorious living in Christ.

Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."

Shalom children of God.

Unforgiveness! (29/7/2022)

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 "Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." - NIV

Paul identified forgiveness as a one of the ways of defeating the devil. Unforgiveness and its related evils like bitterness, resentment and revenge are good avenues the devil takes advantage of to wreck more havoc in us. In his scheme of things, if he can succeed to keep you in bitterness, resentment and not forgiving those who have hurt you, he has succeeded to make inroads into your life. And from there, he can manipulate your thoughts, decisions and actions.

While forgiveness keeps Satan away, it draws God closer and allows Him to work in and through us. This is the reason scriptures advice to forgive and not give room to anger, bitterness or vengeance (Col 3:13-14). The devil will try to justify unforgiveness and make you continue in it for as long as possible because he will keep you under his control while in it. In reality, it is harming you more. You will never be at peace while bitter and unforgiving at the same time.

So many have crushed under the influence this satanic scheme. Purpose to let go and leave certain things and people to God. Let God’s word and love reign in your heart. When you are aflame with Jesus’ love, satan will have no room. He will flee. You then live in perpetual victory over the devil, in peace and joy. In this world, we shall always be hurt by others, intentionally or not. I urge you to forgive and let God avenge for you (Rom 12:19).

Hebrews 12:14-15 "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

Shalom children of God.

Advantage of ignorance!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 2:10-11 "Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." - NIV

Paul identifies ignorance of the devil’s schemes as one way he can outwit us. This isn’t his weapon, but something he takes advantage of to achieve his plans in people’s lives. It is the person who is ignorant. Ignorance is overcome by knowledge, in this case, of God’s word. Ignorance is two sided: the fact that satan is defeated and now only uses schemes to bring defeat, and the believer’s ignorance of the power and authority, rights and privileges available to them.

We earlier noted that Jesus decisively defeated Satan and gave us that victory. But when you are not aware of this and live like you believe Satan still has the victory, he will smartly defeat you and inflict all sorts of things on you. A weak or defeated enemy will use trickery and psychological warfare. That’s how the devil has succeeded to hold millions captive, yet forever defeated by the Lord Jesus!

Secondly, Jesus gave His church, to which every believer in Him belongs, the power and authority to trample over all powers of the devil. That power is resident in everyone who believes regardless of status(Eph 3:20). God’s word teaches this. Even with all this power beyond measure, some believers behave like they are at the mercy of Satan, because they are ignorant of their power, authority, rights and privileges in Christ! Arise child of God to your position and take what belongs to you! Be informed of satan’s true fate, and your true status in Christ. Walk in your victory forever won by Christ! Hallelujah!

Matthew 28:18-19 "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"

Shalom children of God.

Discord among brethren

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 17:21-23 "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." - KJV

This was Jesus’ passionate prayer, that His disciples may be one as He was with the Father. The recorded repetitions are no mistake, but to emphasize the weight of the matter in God’s heart. Its God’s will for His church to be one, in perfect unity!

One of Satan’s biggest, and probably the most successful strategies against the progress of the church, is disunity. This has been largely fueled by denominational lines, personal or other interests. The only time we are commanded not to fellowship with anyone is on the basis of heretical teachings or living lifestyles contrary to the teachings and authority of scripture. 

We can never be uniform in methods of operation, the way we worship and do things, but we can be one in the common faith. Just because they are not with us, in our church/denomination or do things the way we do, is no reason to hate them. The disciples once stopped someone who was casting out demons in Jesus name because he was not ‘with them’. Jesus told them not to. He identified him as one of their own, despite not being in their company.

In today’s church, believers have fought, claimed superiority, scandalised and demonized each other over little differences that could easily be ignored – yet claim to serve the same Lord! Do they believe in the supremacy and teachings of scripture, the Lordship of Jesus and salvation in His name, and seek to promote God’s kingdom and live by His principles? Then they are our brothers and sisters regardless of other differences. May we be one, that our testimony to the world will bring Him glory! In this way, Satan will not outwit us.

Ephesians 4:3 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Shalom children of God.

Fear and doubt (1/8/2022)

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 8:36-37 "Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left."

Jesus had healed the demon possessed man and all the Garasenes came to witness. Instead of rejoice that a healer had come right to their territory, they were overwhelmed with fear and sent Him away. They missed the rest of the blessings He would have brought to them. Fear and doubt are weapons the devil uses to hold his victims captive and then manipulate to do anything.

Where fear and doubt is, faith is not. And faith is a shield, a weapon of our warfare to protect us from the fiery arrows that the devil is ever shooting at us. These include discouragement, hopelessness, frustration, despair… Once these fill ones mind, the devil can drive them in any direction, including suicides. The devil can only make inroads into your life by first causing fear. Fear opens you up to his maneuvers. That’s why he roars like a lion, creates scary scenarios to first instill fear, including forming up lies to devour his victims.

Millions are in the devil’s trap because of fear. Child of God, you are above the manipulations of Satan by your position in Christ. Refuse to believe his lies however real they may appear. Stand firm in faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and believe the sure promises in His word. No weapon forged against you shall succeed, unless you circum to fear. You are victorious, more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. Get out of the net of fear. Walk with your head high in God your redeemer. Hallelujah!

1 John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
Romans 8:37 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Luke 8:50 "Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

Shalom children of God.

Using your weakest points

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 4:1-3 "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” - NIV

Jesus had fasted 40 days in the desert and was now hungry and physically weak. The devil identified that as a weak point and tempted Him in line with His biggest need at that time – food. When the devil wanted to cause mans fall from God’s glory, he came through Eve whom he easily confused and convinced. The rest is history. That remains his trick.

We all have weak and strong areas. Our weakness, or soft spots, make us most susceptible to temptation. Satan has used this trick to bring down millions. Samson, Solomon were weak in with women. Some women can’t resist any man. Gehazi, Judas Iscariot were weak in money and material things. Some are timid and fearful, have bad temper, can’t resist power, food, etc. The devil rides on these to drive its victims far away from God and leading to a downfall. Once down, he makes the victims wallow in guilt and self condemnation, or to resign to fate and throw off any restrain.

Our ability to resist this scheme of the devil lies in honestly identifying and knowing our weakness, seeking help and strength from God, using the word to resist Satan, and getting a confident to hold us accountable. Where you are weak, you need support from others. When you fall into the same thing, someone else will genuinely hold your hand and lift you up to your feet. You can rise up again and be what God intended you to be! The Holy Spirit helps in our weaknesses.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 "Two are better than one,  because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."

Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."

Shalom children of God

Trivializing the eternally important!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Genesis 25:31-34 "Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright."

Esau was a hunter for survival. That day he failed to make a kill. Hungry, he asked his brother Jacob for food. Jacob asked him to first sale his birthright. Esau said his birthright wasn’t of any use to him since he was about to die. He despised and sold it for a meal, ate and went his way. What was to earn him eternal blessings for all generations to come, was exchanged for a meal. Esau despised his birthright, and lost it, forever!

One of Satan’s schemes is to make salvation through Christ and the eternally significant things of God appear trivial in comparison to the immediate joys and pleasures of this world. ‘Indulge yourself, feel free to do what your heart desires, why bother with what you don’t even know whether they exist or not,’ he tells his victims. And so people despise God’s ways and principles and engage in things they delight in: make wealth, have pleasure, ignore God. They eat and drink and enjoy life outside God as it was in the days of Noah until the door was shut!

Dear friend, do not trivialize the call to repentance and living for God. Do not be blinded by the devil, to follow after fleeting pleasures of sin and the world which leave you empty and lost, even if one gained the whole world. In God are true riches into eternity. Seriously consider the state of your relationship with your Creator God. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling. Will you heed His call, to live for Him? You will rejoice for eternity!

Mark 8:36-37 "Do people gain anything if they win the whole world but lose their life? Of course not! There is nothing they can give to regain their life."GNB

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalms 90:2,4 "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God…For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." - NIV

The Psalmist meditates on the greatness of God. The vastness of the universe is still beyond the reach of modern technology in exploration of outer space. The billions of galaxies each with billions of stars, make planet earth appear less than the smallest speck of dust. In comparison, the earth would be less than nothing (Isa 40:17). Yet God holds all these stars in His hand, calls them by name, set them on their course and none defies it and He sustains the universe by His word. So how great is God if the entire universe cannot contain Him and is in His control?

In terms of time, God existed from eternal past before he created time, and will exist into the eternal future beyond time. To Him, a thousand years is like a watch in the night which just passed by. He Himself is beyond time. That’s incomprehensible to our human understanding! Great as He is, God loves and knows you by name, and thinks about you!

Where from is the pride of man, and how does he question God? When men in their folly think they can challenge God, the Almighty just laughs. Whatever God has revealed to us, through His word and the scientific discoveries, is but just a little glimpse into the vastness of His greatness to enable us believe and put our faith in Him. God and His works are past finding out. Where, or mortal man, do you pick guts to challenge your your Maker? Fear and give Him glory. Leave the deception of Satan.

Psalms 147:4-6 "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground."

Shalom children of God.