Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 26:52-54 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”_ – NIV When Peter drew his sword to fight the arresters of Jesus, Jesus quickly told him to put it back. It was not time to fight back. And the use of the sword was not the way to fight back. Humanly and logically speaking, Peter felt duty bound to defend his Master. But Jesus brings another perspective to it. He had ability to call for twelve legions of angels to come and fight for Him. But He couldn’t because what was happening was in fulfillment of the Scriptures.There are things that happen to us and in the world to fulfill what God has decreed in His Word long before they happen. Our human wisdom will want to find ways out. At such moments, resisting these things is resisting God’s will. This requires that we get to understand that what is happening has been allowed by God in fulfillment of His Word. In that case, we yield to His will. It also requires identifying masquerading satanic forces taking advantage which should be resisted and fought. So true and final is God’s predetermined purpose and will that the best we can do is align with it. Jesus throughout His life knew and submitted to it. Our ignorance of God’s Word and ways can be a set back in life and spiritual warfare. We end up fighting battles we shouldn’t, or reacting when we should be holding our peace, and letting God have His way. Many times it may go against common logic, but in the end it will proof to be the right way. He is God!_Matthew 22:29 “Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”__John 19:28 “Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the LORD while you can find him.  Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” – NLT_Many people tend to trivialize, postpone, ignore or reject certain actions and decisions with a feeling that there is still time. In the end, many opportunities are lost, remorseful regrets experienced later in life, and destinies affected, some of them eternally! This is true in every aspect of life, our relationship with God inclusive. Many along the way look back with much regret at lost chances. Worse still, will be the eternal regret for those who are now postponing, or ignoring their commitment to God!God still pleads with us to seek Him while He can be found, to call on Him while He is near. This call will not be so forever. A time comes when it will not be possible to call or seek and find Him any more! Even those in God who keep disobeying or postponing what God tells them to do in His service, should rethink their ways. Hear what David said in Psalm 32:6 _”… Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgement.”_ NLTApostle Paul wrote about the same; _”As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (ÑLT)_And Jesus, about the irresponsible unprepared virgins at His coming, had this to say; _”… Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.” (Matthew 25:10)_So, while there is still time and opportunity to give your life to Jesus, be reconciled, and start a relationship with God, and to serve Him, make use of it NOW. One day, it will not be there. It will be too late! Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Everything is valued according to its own worth. Cheap things attract less value. Special and precious  things are costly. And this goes for the way they are handled. About our value, the Bible says, _”Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have recieved from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)._ Our Creator values us so highly that He was willing to pay the highest price ever to redeem us to Himself. He gave the best to redeem His best; Jesus His Son! And Jesus laid down His life to safe us. Our value cannot be measured with silver or gold or any form of matetoal wealth in this world. It can only be measured by the value of the shed blood and the life of Jesus, the price paid for us. We are simply priceless! We are God’s master piece, precious children of God!_”For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)._ Your worth is not, and should never be in terms of any material wealth or possessions of this life (money, cars, clothes, lands, buildings, fame, etc),  however much one acquires them. These things don’t define your worth in the sight of God your Father. With or without them, you are valued. Every time you seek to define your worth before God in terms of these things, you stoop too low and demean yourself. To the rich young man, Jesus’ counsel was that a man’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of things, but a riches towards God (Luke 12:15). You are His own. You are precious to God!Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”_The Corinthian church had alot of challenges, among them was division. They each claimed to follow different people; Paul, Peter, Appolos or Jesus. Paul described them as worldly with such divisions. The only foundation of salvation is Christ Jesus. All we can do is build on that foundation of Jesus figuratively using different materials of gold, silver, stones, wood, hay or straw. Fire will test our works.Paul refers to the Day of judgment in which our works will be tested to prove their quality. We are all builders in the service of God one way or another. The difference is in the materials we are using. The gold, silver, costly stones which stand the fire represent quality works. The wood, hay and straw represent poor quality works which will be burnt up. But the person will be saved. How are we building on the foundation? Some are preaching the gospel and serving with wrong motives, to build their names, as a means of financial gain, to outwit others, for fame, etc. That’s building using straw or hay which will burn up. Others are serving to truly honor God, glorify Him and lead people to Him as guided by God’s kind of love. Some may pretend to be serving God, and yet with hidden motives. Some are genuine. Whatever the case, the nature and quality of all our works will be revealed by fire on the Day we appear before God. It’s better to examine oneself early ensure you are using quality materials to build._Romans 14:12 “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”__Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”_ – NIV The current worldly system is under the influence of Satan, the god of this present age. Paul notes that one of the key things Satan does is to prevent people from understanding and believing the gospel. He blinds their minds so that they cannot see the light of the gospel and so believe. This is what makes people reject the gospel, its truth, justice and righteousness, and instead accept lies, dishonesty and all sorts of evil.Satan being the god of the worldly system has his principles of engagement and operation. Except for openly satanic ways, most of these worldly patterns are part of ordinary life activities and relationships but demonically influenced. Many, including believers, don’t even realise that what they are engaged in is of the enemy the devil. And that is how the gospel gets veiled and rejected by those who are perishing.The subtle working of the devil behind these worldly systems requires discernment and spiritual warfare. We wage war against these powers of evil influencing people to do evil. And the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to defeat all demonic forces and bringing people under the influence of the Holy Spirit to believe and accept Christ, do good and bring glory to God. Our prayer then is against demonic forces and schemes blinding people from God. We are not fighting with human beings, but spirits behind them. _Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe…”_ – NIV To the believers in the church of Ephesus for whom Paul was thankful, he realised there was alot more they needed to know about God and their relationship with Him. To achieve this, Paul prayed for two things; that they would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and for enlightenment of their inner eyes of the spirit. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and revelation, and enlightens our understanding of the deep things of God. Once this happened, they would know God better, understand the hope they have been called to, the glorious inheritance that belongs to them in Christ, and the immeasurable power of God at work in them. That’s the same power that resurrected Jesus from death. There are so many believers with a very shallow knowledge of the God they have believed. They have no idea what glorious hope awaits them, and what great power resides in them. That’s why many give up.The Holy Spirit reveals these things to us. Once we understand, nothing can shake us from the faith. We can exercise the power of the Lord against all forms demonic forces, and our hope will firmly establish us in the Lord. There is so much God has for those in Him. The reason some get shaken and abandon their walk with God for temporary pleasures is that they have not known the treasures of their relationship with God. Only corporate with the Holy Spirit and He will reveal these to you. After that, the treasurs and glories of this world will be nothing in comparison. _Philippians 3:7-8 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ…”__1 Corinthians 2:9-10 “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen,  what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 8:13-16 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”_- NIV Paul brought another aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He helps us to subdue the flesh and put to death its misdeeds. After that, we are led by the Spirit and no longer by the bodily desires contrary to God’s ways. The Spirit also gives us the assurance that we are God’s children after one is born again. Because salvation is a spiritual matter, it can be difficult to understand it logically with the human mind just as Nichodemus was totally perplexed when Jesus told him to be born again. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and actualize it.The Holy Spirit enables our new birth into God’s kingdom and our adoption as sons of God. And if sons, we enjoy the liberty, authority and privileges of sonship. This includes the closeness with God whom we can now address as ‘Abba, Father.’ In Christ, God is our Father, and we have access to Him at any one time of day or night. We should have no more fear to approach God. He dearly loves us as His own. He invites us into His presence for communion without restrictions whatsoever. Hallelujah!Sonship also entitles us to God’s blessings and inheritance as heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. In the same way, we are a reflection of our Father to the world. We carry His nature, manifest His character by the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and exercise His authority and power to execute His will and purposes on earth. These are the rights and privileges God Almighty has given those called by His name! What a wonder! What a mystery!_Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”__John 1:12 “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—”_Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 16:8-11 “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”_ – NIV To the none believer in Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict about sin, their need to find the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus, and the fact that judgement will follow for those who reject this offer of salvation from sin through Jesus Christ. Conviction is that deep inner voice within a person, showing them what is right or wrong and what they need to do about it. Every human being gets this conviction within them, especially as they hear the gospel preached. What they do about it is dependent on them in exercise of the freedom of will and choice God gave man.Those who obey that conviction of the Holy Spirit feel remorseful about their sins and come to God in repentance. The Spirit does not convict to condemn, but to correct our ways and bring us to God. This is what leads to conversion of the sinner, enabling them come to Christ to recieve salvation. Those who reject this conviction only harden their hearts more and more. Every preaching of the gospel is used by the Holy Spirit to bring people to that point of decision for Christ or rejecting Him.To the believer, the Holy Spirit uses the word to correct, rebuke, teach and train (2 Tim 3:16). When we make mistakes, He brings us back to the right way through repentance. Again, the conviction is not to condemn, but to correct, to discipline so that we are fully walking by the way pleasing to God. Some still disobey and harden their hearts to this work of the Spirit. But we are urged not to harden our hearts when He convicts us. To those who continuously and outrightly reject Him, judgment will be inevitable. _Hebrews 3:7-8,15 “So then, as the Holy Spirit says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God, as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test… This is what the scripture says: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were     when they rebelled against God.”_Shalom children of God.