Category: Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 16:13-15 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.””_ – NIV Of particular interest in the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life is the directing of praise and glory to Jesus. He guides us into truth which He gets from Jesus. He says only what He has heard, and nothing of His own. As He relays the message to us, He acknowledges that the glory belongs to Jesus. And Jesus in return acknowledges it is the Father Who gave Him. The Triune God works in perfect unity, each playing His role and recognising the others.The Holy Spirit empowers the believer and uses them to do many great works. The early church experienced it first hand when they did what Jesus had done, and even more. We too experience this in our time when the Spirit moves to manifest great works in saving, healing, transforming, comforting, teaching and reviving His people. Some of these great works overwhelm people who naturally will heap worship and praises to the human vessels. We should be careful to quickly direct the glory to God and not ourselves. No one who operates and speaks by the Spirit of God draws attention to themselves in pride whatever happens through them. We should always remember that we are vessels in the hand of God Almighty to serve His purposes through the Holy Spirit for the good of God’s people. To assume for yourself the glory that is due only to God Who is using you to accomplish His works, is sin. Whenever you find yourself enjoying the limelight, busking in the glory, and feeling good that men praise you, know that a different spirit, not the Holy Spirit, is taking over. To God alone belongs all the glory._Isaiah 42:8 “I alone am the Lord your God. No other god may share my glory; I will not let idols share my praise.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 16:13-15 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.””_ – NIV Another key ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal what lies ahead and is yet to come. In the scripture above, Jesus connects what the Spirit will say to what the Father and the Son say. The Spirit hears and recieves from them and relays only that to the saints. Part of what He relays concerning the future. This is what makes Him the Spirit of prophecy. He has done this from the begining.Why does God reveal what is yet to come? Because He doesn’t want us to be taken unawares by what will happen. He wants us to know and prepare ourselves accordingly. Unfortunately, even after this, many ignore the word of the Lord. He also wants to glorify Himself as God Who knows the end from the begining. And that His purposes remain regardless of what Satan and his human and demonic cohorts do in attempt to overthrow Him. He is in control of the future.The Holy Spirit accomplishes this ministry through those He gifts with prophetic ministry. But extra caution needs to be taken to avoid the counterfeit prophecies Jesus warned us about. Some of what is given as prophecy from God is not from God, but divination coming in the name of God. Jesus said you will know them by their fruit (Matt 7:15-20). A true prophet from God will carry God’s character, seek entirely to glorify God and direct all glory to God as the Spirit does. But where attention, glory and worship is directed to the prophet more than God, and the prophet enjoys it, something has gone wrong! The Holy Spirit speaks only as directed, and gives all glory to God. So should the vessel of the prophet!_2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 27:64 “So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”_ – NIV The Pharisees and teachers of the law had successfully killed Jesus and now wanted to secure their victory. Pilate allowed them to post security guards and they put a seal on the tomb of Jesus. They wanted to prevent Him from resurrecting as He had indicated earlier. With the best human guards available and a seal on the tombstone, they were convinced Jesus would not rise up. They were greatly mistaken!This was an attempt of man to resist God’s plan and to prevent what He had purposed to do. It was laughable. Later, when the angel in God’s glory came to role away the stone, along with the lightening and earthquake, the guards fell down as though dead (Matt 28:4). It was like a mosquito attempting to fight an elephant. When men conspire and try to fight their Creator, God looks down and laughs (Psalm 2:1-5). And yet this is what people do many times. They resist God, sneer and fight to have their way in futility.The best of human pride, strength and ammunition directed against God is nothing. When they seem to succeed, God in His mercy is simply giving them time to reconsider their ways. Those who take refuge in God can be assured of unfailing protection from God under Whose wings they are totally safe. The Lord protects His own. Those who trust in Him will not be put to shame. The schemes of the wicked against the Lord and His righteous ones will not succeed except for what God allows to fulfill His bigger purposes._Psalms 127:1 “If the Lord does not build the house, the work of the builders is useless; if the Lord does not protect the city,  it is useless for the sentries to stand guard.”_- GNB Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

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1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – NIV

God is the creator of time and He has put in place a time for everything that needs to be done in this world. Peter was addressing the elders and the youth, urging them all to be submissive to one another in humility. The youth may be tempted to run ahead of their God appointed time for lifting. The elders may be a hindrance to the rising of the youth. He then advises that we cast our cares upon God because He cares.

These are some of the things that make people run ahead of God’s time. Ambition is good, but can drive one to go ahead of God’s timing. Anxiety over things not working out as we would expect, God delaying or seeming to fail to answer our prayers drives people to take matters in their own hands to find solutions. Yet there is a due time for whatever God purposed to happen. Discerning that due time is key. And when it comes, things will flow. He makes everything beautiful in it’s time.

Its God’s mighty hand that lifts us up. Nothing and none can stand against it. Our part is to humble ourselves under that hand. It may not be easy or comfortable as this hand does its work to mold and shape us into what God desires us to be. The lifting comes only after the hand has done its work satisfactorily. Will you corporate with God’s hand working on you?

Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Shalom children of God

By pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psa 27:13-14 “[I had fainted], unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”_ – KJV This psalm of David partly expresses what we go through in life and how thoughts of quiting are real. David says that he had reached the end of himself, lost strength and hope of living. But what kept him going was that there was still the goodness of God he would experience despite raging battles from his enemies. He now encourages others to wait in hope on the Lord for strength. It takes courage to keep going even when all seems hopeless and death appears real. Hope is the expectation of something good or better ahead. It implies a troublesome present state. In whom and in what things we place our hope matters alot. Sometimes what we hope in to make our lives better fails us. The Bible teaches that anything else we place our hope and faith in apart from God, may fail. Even well meaning people who truly care about us may fail because they are limited. It is only hope in God that we can call a living hope since it will not fail. It is sure.Because of the many battles and challenges of life, many have lost hope and resigned themselves to whatever happens. I encourage that you look to God Who never fails those who trust in Him. Like David, believe to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. With God, there is still light at the end of a current dark tunnel. You can still rise up again, wounded and battered as you may be. You can still smile again. You can still have joy and peace again. It’s well with you in God. _Psalm 25:3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those  who are treacherous without cause.”__1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 34:19-20 “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones,  not one of them will be broken._” – NIV The psalmist acknowledged in his meditations that there can be many troubles for the righteous. There is the devil, the god of the evil system of the world, whose mission is to steal, kill and destroy. He will stir up trouble and cause much havoc in people’s lives and relationships. These result in lost relationships, joy and peace. People get wounded, hate, and fight each other, find no sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. Some resort to dangerous lifestyles to ease inner pain.Many have had series of devastating occurrences one after another. Life has not been a straight smooth line, but rough, crooked and sometimes very uncertain. Society is full of problems caused by poverty, sickness and disease, wars and destruction, crime and violence, and death. Because of this, many get disappointed, feel pain, cry out, lose hope. Even with acquisition of things comes its fears and troubles. Life seems a gamble. Many are wounded within.Thank God this grim picture of our lives and society is not the end of the story. Out of all the troubles and challenges we may face, the bible teaches that God rescues us out of them all. Jesus warned His disciples that they would have trouble in this world, but encouraged them not to let their hearts be troubled. We may still experience pain, sorrow, dilemmas and trials of various kinds. But victory is certain in Christ. Let’s hang in there. _John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”__Acts 14:22 “…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 18:21-35 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times…”_ – NIV Jesus was teaching about those who sin against us and the approach to restoring them to fellowship. Then Peter wonders how many times one who sins can be forgiven. Many today would ask the same question regarding those who hurt us over and over again. He suggested seven times, but Jesus said not seven, but seventy seven times, implying offer forgiveness always. Jesus attached our forgiveness of others to our own forgiveness by God. He noted that if we don’t forgive, neither will God forgive us (v.35).As earlier noted, we are constantly hurt by people intentionally or not. Out of some of our own failures, we regret what we have done. All these haunt a person within. Not only are we to leave the past behind us, but also forgive from the heart those who have sinned against us. We should also forgive ourselves. Unforgiveness creates room for anger, resentment, bitterness, revenge, hatred, and demonic influences. It steals our joy, peace, and enjoyment of life. It keeps inner wounds of the soul fresh and painful. When we forgive, we release the matters to God, gain our joy and peace and begin to heal internally. Unforgiveness is a huge baggage to carry. It primarily affects the victims, keeps them in bondage, and retards meaningful growth and progress. No one keeps in unforgiveness and at the same time remains peaceful and happy. Release yourself and others to God. James says our healing comes from confessing our faults one to another and praying for each other. Paul adds that we ought to forgive as the Lord forgave us – unconditionally. Leave vengeance to God. _James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”__Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Hebrews 12:15 “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.”_ – NIV There are many people living with bottled up anger, unforgiveness, depression, feelings of injustice, rejection, and all related evils as a result of the circumstances they went through in life. They may ignore, or assume to have outgrown it, only to erupt at the slightest provocation along the way in life. The scripture above points to bitterness being a cause for trouble and defiling many. It can lead to ungodly behaviours and falling from grace. As previously noted, the disappointments and hurts of life are bound to come. As long as we are with people in this broken and fallen world, we shall always likely be hurt, consciously or not. Jesus said things that cause offence will always come (Luke 17:1-4). The hurts and disappointments, if not properly dealt with, create deep wounds/offences in the heart and soul. People may appear happy externally, and yet hurting deeply within. Such inner wounds are even more dangerous than physical wounds. They eat up the person from within.Additional signs of these wounds include aggression, outbursts of anger, irritability, hardened hearts, resignation and withdrawals, vengeance, depression, mental challenges, antisocial behaviours, lack of peace, and tendency towards violence. We usually assess people according such outward behaviours, but don’t ask why they do what they do. We would do well to find out as much as possible the hidden wounds in them and seek to help. _Colossians 3:8 “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”_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 Israel sinned against God, and He handed them over to their enemies who devastated their land and many died. God promised restoration to them despite a very dark past. He was going to do a new thing. Theirs was to forget the past, and look forward to it.Some of the things that eat up people internally are the past messes, failures and pains. So many have been held hostage by their past. The devil who enjoys accusing always uses it as a key weapon of condemnation. Some of our past is so horrible and painful that you wish it could be erased out of existence. Good or bad, the past is gone. We cannot change it. We can only learn the lessons and move on.Whether through your own messes or as a victim of what others did to you, bring the burden of your past to God. Come as you are, hiding nothing and surrender it to Him. Let Him take that burden off you and set you free. God calls us not to remember or dwell on the past. The more we dwell on it, the more we lose focus of the future blessings and fail to enjoy the present. In Christ, God can bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and glory out of shame. Behold the new thing God is doing, and move along with it. Paul did._1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 8:10-11 “Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”_ – NIV She had been caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees and teachers of the law paraded her in public, and everyone was eager to punish her by stoning to death according to the law. They sought to use this incident to hear what would say and thereby trap Him. After Jesus asked anyone without sin to throw the first stone, they all departed, one by one till the woman was left alone. The very people condemning and eager to stone her, now couldn’t. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you, but leave your life of sin. Such refreshing words from the Lord!One can only imagine the shame, fear and hopelessness of this woman. Everyone looked at her jeering, laughing. She deserved to die. A sinner. But the very people eager to stone her to death were as guilty of hidden sin, including the pharisees and teachers of the same law they wanted to use to kill her. Convicted of their own sin, they left. This is the hypocrisy of our world; condemning others when guilty yourself. Just because their sins were not open like this woman, didn’t make them faultless. Neither is this a justification to cover up sin or to reject correction when you are wrong.Love covers a multitude of sin. The woman was an adulterer. Jesus didn’t ignore that. That’s why He told her to forsake sin. Let love prevail even as we correct and seek to restore people who have sinned. To those who feel ashamed, wounded, despised, rejected and condemned by others because of the wrongs they did, if you are genuinely repentant before God who searches and knows your heart, Jesus’ words of assurance come to you too, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin.” Be healed from self condemnation. Go in peace with your head raised high. God forgives and loves you._Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”_Shalom children of God.