Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." - NIV

To discern is to recognize what is not obvious and is hidden. In spiritual matters, it is the ability to sense what is presented as good and from God, and what is evil and from the devil, but disguised as good and harmless. Paul was battling with false apostles who came in the name of Christ, but purely under satanic influence. He notes that Satan too, pretends to be an angel of light, and so do his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.

This is the heart of deception. Not all that comes in the name of the Lord is from God. Because they are carefully packaged and designed to decieve the unsuspecting naive minds, many consume it without question like a bait. They may carry the same Bible, appear to teach from it, possess the same titles, and do many related things to the true servants of God. But within and behind them is Satan himself. Jesus too warned of false teachers and prophets who come in sheep skins, but are dangerous wolves.

As the we draw closer to the end of time, deception will increase. Any good and discerning bible student can see this all around us. There has never been a time we need the gift of discernment more than now, if we are to be safe and secure in the faith and our walk with God. Unfortunately, many have, and will still fall victims. And yet we have been given all that we need to discern and be safe. We look into this in the next days.

Matthew 7:15-16 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 John 4:1 "My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere." - GNB

Apostle John clearly warns the believers about the deception already in the world. It is masterminded by the devil who is a liar from the begining. As previously seen, he masquerades as an angel of light to decieve those who don’t discern. John gives the solution as testing all, including those who claim to have the Holy Spirit in them. It therefore goes, that if you don’t test, you will fall victim of deception.

Deception primarily thrives on ignorance. If one is equipped with the truth and awareness of deceit, it becomes very easy to counter deception. But whatever one receives requires testing against the standard of truth. God’s word rightly read, interpreted and applied is the standard. Paul mentions another reason for deception; when people who already know the truth choose to ignore it and opt for ways contrary to God and sound teachings and defend them as their rights.

When men deliberately refuse or rationalize the truth and live in their evil ways, there is no more remedy. God gives them to strong delusion. Then right becomes wrong and vice versa. They live in lies by choice. This explains some odd practices around the world today which are promoted and defended as human rights even when their own conscience testifies against such. Until we embrace and allow the truth of God’s word to guide our ways, deception will continue to prevail. The choice is for each one of us.

Romans 1:25 "They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised for ever! Amen." - GNB

Shalom

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Jude 1:3,22,23 "My dear friends, I was doing my best to write to you about the salvation we share in common, when I felt the need of writing at once to encourage you to fight on for the faith which once and for all God has given to his people…Show mercy towards those who have doubts; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and to others show mercy mixed with fear, but hate their very clothes, stained by their sinful lusts." - GNB

Whenever the Lord and the apostles addressed the issue of deception, it was always urgent and serious. Much was written to warn about falsehoods and their dangers. Jude was to write about salvation but quickly changed the subject to address falsehoods. The call is to fight for the faith, and key in this fight is against deception. Some victims were even to be snatched as from the fire. That’s how serious it was/is.

Satan, the master deceiver, is not playing as he seeks to draw multitudes away from God to his side, and towards eternal damnation. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. The wolf is not joking when among the sheep. These are matters of life and death, including affecting destinies forever! Beyond a seemingly casual conversation between the serpent and Eve, were eternally significant consequences we experience to date.

Don’t down play any deception and laugh it off as a minor thing! Satan is dead serious, is after your soul and eternal destruction! Paul didn’t take this matter lightly and made very strong statements in all his letters condemning falsehoods. Contend for the faith entrusted to us through Christ. Deception leads astray, wastes resources and lives, leaves the victims miserable, and affects destinies. When detected, flee for your life!

Shalom.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 55:12-14 "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me,  I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about  among the worshipers." - NIV

David raised a very disturbing matter in human relationships. This is about betrayal that arises from hypocrisy of those we think are close friends, confidants, companions, fellow worshippers and people we trust. He further says it is easier to know your enemy is fighting you. That doesn’t surprise because you already know it and will gladly endure. But it surprises and hurts for the close one you worship with, eat with, enjoy ‘sweet’ fellowship with, and trust – to turn against you.

One reason this happens is when people harbour evil intentions and do not walk in the light. When we have honest attitudes towards others and if we mean well, we will not keep evil intentions against them. We will not say one thing and do another. We will not smile and at the same time planning to harm. We will love them as ourselves and do to them what we wish done to us. We will genuinely seek to help others and not stab their backs. This is God’s principle.

Stories abound of those cheated, abused, harmed and betrayed by those they trusted. This shouldn’t be so, especially among those called by God’s name. This is why we are told to do whatever we do to God and others from the heart. Anything short of this is hypocrisy. May God help us not be agents of the devil in betraying those who have sought solace under our care! May we be like God Who never betrays those Who come to Him.

Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

1 John 1:6-7 "If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” – NIV

Jesus spent time to encourage His disciples on how important they are to God. He uses two examples to drive the point home. The sparrow is a little almost insignificant bird. Two of these birds cost almost nothing, but God cares about them so much that when one dies and falls down in the thick forests, God takes note!  None of us ever bothers to know how many hairs we have in our heads, but God cares enough to not only know their number, but also takes note when one of them falls down.

We all need this encouragement one time or another in life as we go through situations that attempt to make us feel less than who we really are. Despite the life upheavals, God wants us to know we are so precious to Him. If He can care for things that don’t bother us, little things in His creation, how much more His most treasured creation, man? He who did not spare His Son, but gave Him up for us, how can He fail to supply our need (Romans 8:32)? If He did whatever it could take to save us, can He abandon us? Never!

He even committed Himself to never leave nor forsake us(Heb 13:5). Cheer up child of God. You are more valuable than you can imagine. You need to have this awareness and consciously live with it. Walk with your head up,  in confidence. He loves and cares for you more than you. We are His treasured possession. Don’t allow your environmental circumstances define you. They may make you feel inferior and unworthy. Take your Father’s report. You are valuable and precious! You are His own!

Psalms 100:3 “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 2:19, 51 “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart…Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” – NIV

Alot had happened and was spoken surrounding baby Jesus. The angel had told Mary and Joseph about the His conception and birth. When He was born, God breaks the news to the shepherds taking care of sheep in the night through a large multitude of angels. At the temple while dedicating the child to God, the old man Simeon spoke very prophetically about Him. Prophet Anna too spoke out. The parents saw the young boy reason very maturely at the temple.

In all these situations, the Bible says Mary treasured up these things and pondered over them in her heart. She couldn’t humanly comprehend them all, and the best was to treasure them in her heart. There are things that God, in His wisdom and knowledge, does or allows in our lives. They are part of His bigger plan for us. As they unfold, we may not yet understand what is happening and what the outcome may be. As Mary did, it is best to be still and keep them in your heart as you watch what God is doing.

As this happens, remember whatever promises and prophecies God made to you. Allow God manifest them as He fulfills what He purposed for you. They may appear strange and unique, out of the norm as it happened to Moses in the burning bush, the angel to Samson’s parents, to the apostles in the miraculous fish catch or some divine encounter several people experienced. Don’t be quick to reject what is uncommon and appearing strange unless you clearly discern it is demonic. It is well. God is in charge. He will bring it to pass for His glory.

Genesis 24:21 “Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.”

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Kings 19:3-5 "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”" - NIV

It was evident that Elijah was very tired physically and emotionally unstable at this time. The activities at Mount Carmel, the process of killing the false prophets, the prayer time for rain were all exhausting. And the running from Mt Carmel to Jezreel, then from Jezreel to Beersheba, a distance of more than 100 miles, totally wore him out. He was scared, tired and hungry too. And he slept. That’s why the angel first gave him food.

A combination of these factors distablizes thinking, makes one lose hope, and makes life lose meaning. The prayer he made indicated the state he was in. Many times we are so preoccupied with the businesses of life and God that we forget or trivialize our physical wellbeing. When emotional challenges find a tired, worn out body and mind, it can be disastrous both to the person and those around them. It’s one reason for emotional outbursts and irrational decisions people, including those least expected, make.

Jesus cared for the physical wellbeing of His disciples. When they returned from a successful mission, He took them somewhere by themselves to find rest and eat something. He himself slept in a boat despite a storm at sea because He was tired. It’s the reason God instituted the Sabbath as a commandment. However anointed, busy and talented we may be, there is need to rest our bodies and souls. Without which, we shall break down and become ineffective in service, unhelpful to our loved ones and susceptible to opportunistic demonic spirits.

Mark 6:30-32 "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Kings 19:3-4 "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” - NIV

Elijah ran with his servant upto Beersheba. He left him there and went alone a day’s journey into the wilderness. As he sat under that tree and prayed to die, he was alone, tired, hungry and probably angry with life. If he had someone besides him, he would have got encouragement and not seek death. David was in a similar predicament when king saul sought after his life. But he managed partly because he had good company. None of us can manage life alone, however gifted or endowed. We always need others.

Being alone gives the devil good opportunity to sow all kinds of bad thoughts in our minds. Especially when exhausted and troubled, our minds are susceptible to hopelessness, doubt and despair from the devil. Jesus needed prayer and moral support in His toughest moment in Gethsemane. He asked the disciples to stand with Him. There is a time to be alone for meditation, but not when being alone will drive you further away from God and destroy your life.

Life loses meaning especially in loneliness and isolation. One of the key strategies of the enemy is to isolate and hit hard. God created us to belong to one another. No one stands or succeeds alone. We all need a shoulder to lean on in our toughest and lowest moments. Deliberately belong to a group, a fellowship of well meaning people. It lightens burdens and makes life worth living. The wise man had this very suitable counsel:

"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. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Shalom children of God.