Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." - NIV

We live in a troubled world. So much evil goes on bringing alot of harm, destruction, restlessness and uncertainty. All the efforts towards a peaceful world don’t seem to yield much fruit as they are soon broken and conflicts continue. Wars and crime continue leaving millions displaced, destitute and dead. Economies are struggling, millions are jobless. Is it possible to have peace in such times?

Isaiah declares that God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfastly fixed on Him. The basis of the steadfastness is trust in God. As long as we trust the efforts of men to bring peace to the world, we shall be disappointed because they will fail. Man is limited. Amidst the turmoils, and troubles of this world, we can have peace that comes from our trust in God.

Trusting God is a choice to look beyond the present situation, to a God Who is greater than these things, and is in charge. In response to our faith in Him, He holds, protects and sustains us. We are then safe and secure in His mighty hand from the storms of life. We can rest on the blessed assurance that He is our defender and hiding place.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

John14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love."- NIV

Paul’s letter to the Galatians primarily addressed conflict between the gospel and the law to recieve salvation and attain right standing with God. He taught that in Christ, one has been freed from the numerous requirements of the law to be righteous. But lest that new found freedom is abused, he cautioned that the purpose of the freedom was to serve others and not indulge the flesh.

Freedom is a nice word and state to be. People have misunderstood it to mean doing anything one likes without restrain. Freedom has its boundaries as well. In Christ, we are saved and set free to serve others in humility and love. All God’s law is summarized in love, for God and others.

Unrestrained freedom is dangerous. Society needs guiding rules and regulations to properly manage freedom. All the weird things people do in the name of freedom become destructive to themselves and others. The flesh has its evil desires contrary to God. If given liberty under demonic influence, it instead leads away from God. Enjoy your freedom in Christ as you serve God and others in humility and love.

1 Peter 2:16 "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 John 1:1-2 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us." - NIV

John the apostle was one of the twelve apostles with Jesus. He wrote this letter to encourage the believers in various places facing persecution for their faith. Lest they were tempted to think what they believed was not genuine, he emphasized that they had heard, seen and even touched the Jesus they proclaimed. He is the Word of life. In Him we have eternal life.

Everyone wants to be sure of what they are following. Unfortunately some follow under deception. The gospel message is authentic because those who had first hand experience with Jesus wrote and passed it on to us. It is not hear say. Satan has tried all these years to destroy the Bible and the authenticity of the gospel message in vain. It stands the test of time because it originates from God Himself.

In the face of so much deception and attempts by the enemy to distort the truth, we can be encouraged that what we have believed is true. Jesus said no one can do anything against the truth, but for the truth. Never fall into temptation to abandon your faith in Christ. And watch out for deception within the faith by being rooted and established in Him.

2 Timothy 1:12 "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."

Shalom children of God

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Genesis 6:8-9 "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." - NIV

These words about Noah come amidst a very grim environment of a very evil society. Everyone thought, planned and did evil. The fallen angels had married daughters of men and produced giants. The heart of God was grieved at the magnitude of sin in the world. Its was in this scenario that Noah is described as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. The contrast between Noah and the rest of the people, is like contrasting day and night. The secret to his righteous life and favour was because he walked with God.

The Lord destroyed the earth with a flood as a result of increase of evil. But as men descended from Noah increased on earth, evil thrived again. Todate, our world is characterized by evil in every sphere, even getting worse as we draw towards the end of the age. Jesus said evil will increase and the love of many will grow cold (Matt 24:12). Paul said it too (1Tim 4:1).Can one live righteously amidst such evil everywhere? The answer is yes. Because it is not by might nor by power of men, but by His Spirit.

Just as Noah walked with God and lived righteously in a terribly evil environment, so can we if we choose to walk with, and worthy of God. There is every temptation to be part of the evil environment and to live as everyone else does. Evil has become glorified and celebrated. Good has become bad, and vice versa. But we can choose to live for God. It is not easy, but worthwhile. The Holy Spirit is available to enable us do so. We just can’t make it on our own. It’s by God’s grace alone we are saved and sustained.

Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” - NIV

Jesus had visited Mary and Martha. Martha was very busy with preparations and got distracted from listening to Jesus. Mary sat and listened to Him. When she got troubled that her sister wasn’t helping, Martha complained to Jesus. Martha got busy and entangled with many things, which worried and upset her. Jesus’ counsel was that she needed only one thing, to sit under Him and listen to Him.

Learning to sit and take counsel from God Who knows it all, controls all things, knows the end from the begining, and is willing to guide us, is all we need. When God threatened not to go with Israel, Moses prayed that they would rather not move if God wasn’t with them(Ex 33:15-16). His presence meant everything to them. In Him is our comfort, peace, joy, strength, victory, protection, provision and meaning and purpose to life. All the many things we do outside God leave us troubled and upset, and don’t mean much after all.

Many today are troubled and upset, like Martha, with many things life throws. But if only we could learn to wait on God, get His counsel and guiding instructions in all we do, we would remain peaceful. Most troubles that plunge men into destruction could be avoided. And we would soon realise that the one thing makes all the difference in our lives for the better. We shall never want to leave His presence. It will be all we need as king David understood.

Psalm 27:4 "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."

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.

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

Isaiah 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"- KJV

Worship is adoration, an expression of love, loyalty, submission, allegiance… The battle in heaven that saw Lucifer(now Satan, the devil) and a third of the angels(now demons) rebel and thrown out, centred on the worship. He wanted to take God’s place in worship. He made man fall from glory with God as he sought to shift man’s allegiance from God to himself. Upto now that is what Satan fights for.

God expects us to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). As we worship, He expects us to do it with all that we are; body, soul and spirit. Short of this, it will be divided loyalty, which is hypocrisy. That’s what Israel had failed in. They had redefined how to worship God, and did it halfheartedly. God detested it. Their mouth spoke and sung what sounded like expressions of worship to God. But their hearts (which God considers most) were not loyal to Him any more. He rebuked them for hypocrisy. If it’s not from the heart, it falls short!

Worship with our whole being will involve the use of our strength, emotions, minds, resources, words and postures like kneeling, bowing, prostration, standing in awe, silence, shouts, laughter, tears – all to express our loyalty, admiration and love. Man made rules of worship may take some these as strange. You can tell how deeply people love and adore someone or something by their expressions. And so it is with our worship of God.

Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 15:7-9 "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;  their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”" - NIV

They travelled from Jerusalem to ask Jesus why His disciples were breaking the law and tradition of the forefathers by eating with unwashed hands. They didn’t even honour their parents and diverted whatever help they should have given them to God. Jesus rebuked them for their hypocrisy manifested by appearing very committed to the traditions of men more than God’s word and right worship of God.

Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus tells them why their worship was in vain. They were more committed to their traditions than the word of God. They focused more on external practices and lip service, but their hearts were far from true commitment to God. Their religious zeal was about laws and regulations, not out of love for God. Their religious practices involved more of routine rituals passed on as worship traditions, but disconnected from the God they claimed to worship.

Such was vain worship. To God, it meant nothing. He didnt recognise it despite their activities. Doesn’t this sound familiar in our times as well? Jesus taught that acceptable worship to God should be in truth and Spirit. It should come from a love and passion for God with all our hearts, souls, strength. The state of our hearts matters most in worship! When man made rules and traditions outside God’s word dictates how we worship God, it becomes vain worship. May your whole being love and live for God. May your worship be acceptable and pleasing to Him.

Mark 12:29-30 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’"

John 4:23-24 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." - NIV

Worship involves sacrifice which demonstrates ones covenant commitment to what or whom they worship. There is no true worship without sacrifice. In the old covenant, animals were slaughtered and their blood sprinkled, and other material items were offered. But when Jesus died as the sacrificial Lamb of God for our sins, we no longer offer animals in worship of God.

We now offer our bodies and readily use them for God’s service. We also offer praises, declaring His wonderful works. We do all these using our time, energy, material resources, and our thoughts, words and actions. In other words, we use all that we are and have to honour, praise and worship God. Our whole lives therefore, are for worship of God. When offered in holiness, Paul calls it true and proper worship.

The primary purpose of our giving is to worship God using our substance. Moses told Pharaoh that they had to go with all their animals and belongings to use them to worship God. Material possessions are for worship and God’s service, and never for a show of power and might. And so are our bodies, the temples of God.

Romans 6:13 "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness."

Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops"

Shalom children of God.