Daily Devotionals

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 10:22-23 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." - NIV

As Jesus celebrated the successful mission of the seventy two He sent out, He stated that knowledge of God only comes through revelation. By revelation, we see things differently and better, from God’s perspective. What had been revealed to the disciples had not been seen even by the prophets and kings before, much as they longed to see the coming of the Messiah. But even with the Messiah around, many still couldn’t see! They were blind.

Some of the things we get to understand as revealed are not obvious to those not in Christ. They are revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. They are spiritual things, discerned by the spiritually alive and sensitive. How beautiful it is to see things from God’s view point. It makes the whole world of difference and gives much clarity to life. I pray you never get contended until you get there!

Some are still blinded in their minds by the god of this world, the devil. They have eyes but dont see what God is doing. Some of those in Christ are still blind to the deeper things God is doing, one reason for their superficial relationship with God. To those who have eyes that see, blessed are you! To those who lack spiritual sight, you can ask God, like blind Bartimaues cried to Jesus to see, and as Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have the eyes of their hearts opened. There is a vast world of great spiritual riches and treasures only known to those who can see!

Mark 10:51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

Ephesians 1:18 "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…"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 10:19-20 "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” - NIV

The disciples had just returned from the mission Jesus sent them. When exercising the power and authority Jesus gave them to heal the sick, cast out devils and preach the gospel, what excited them most was that demons could obey them in Jesus name. That had never happened to them. But Jesus told them that there was something far greater to rejoice about; that their names are written in heaven.

Many get excited, as did the disciples, when they see God’s power at work to heal the sick, cast out demons, perform miracles or do some supernatural things. Unfortunately, it stops there as they bask in the fame and titles they carry around. But beyond those things God’s power and authority does in and through us, should be the question of whether our names are in the Lamb’s book of life or not. That makes eternal difference! For many who even performed the miracles, preached in His name and cast out devils, will be cast away!

Whose names are written in the book of life? Those who have trusted their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior, and living for Him. Some use His name to gain what they wish, but not living for Him. And they will be cast away on the day they stand before God in judgement. At the end, if all that we pursue and glory in in this life does not lead to eternal life and entering God’s kingdom, it is an eternal lose however powerful you were in this present life! That your name is written in heaven is reason to rejoice more than receiving worldwide fame.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Psalm 103:1 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
My soul, my spirit, my very life, it’s your duty to praise the Lord your Maker. His holy name deserves our praise. True praise arises from within, from a thankful heart, manifesting on the outside.

Psalm 103:2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
As my soul praises the Lord, it will remember and not forget what He has done. Forgetfulness lessens praise and increases complaints and disgrutlement. Praise keeps the great things Godhas done in constant view and focus.

Psalm 103:3 who forgives all your sins  and heals all your diseases,
The Lord forgives all our sins and frees us from guilt and condemnation before Him. He has committed to heal all our diseases. For these promises, we can lay claim as our portion from Him.

Psalm 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit  and crowns you with love and compassion,
Without God, we are dead in sin. But God redeems us to Himself from death to life. This He does out of His deep love and compassion. I am loved and redeemed of the Lord. His I am! What a joy to know this!

Psalm 103:5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. I have desires and longings. Some may not glorify His name. God is committed to fulfill my desires, but only with good things. When my desires are satisfied with good, my health is renewed like the eagle’s.

For these and many others, praise the Lord o my soul! He has done, and will continue to do great things. He deserves all the praise.

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Tim 4:1-2 "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." - NIV

To any sensitive, discerning and informed student of God’s word, the signs of our times are no surprise. Paul mentions some of these in his letter to Timothy. Among these are departure from the faith by some, and following demonically orchestrated teachings. They thus become hypocritical liars, with dead consciences, agents of the devil, and yet continue teaching others! Jesus had said false prophets will arise.

A conscience is the check within a person that helps discern right from wrong. When it is alive and God guided, one is enabled to do what is right. But when it is dead, one does what is wrong without any remorseful feelings. The hypocitic teachers Paul talked about were once in the faith, but abandoned it for deceptive demonic leading and teachings. They ignored the Holy Spirit, Who convicts and leads into the truth. As a result, the conscience dies because the Holy Spirit Who awakens the conscience has been grieved away. Such are truly dangerous and mislead many!

Our responsibility is to watch out for such teachers lest we get deceived (Matt 24:4), and to watch ourselves and our doctrine as we teach others. We already see such perversions of truth all around us. The bible instructs us not to blindly follow anything, but to test the spirits behind what we see or hear, whether they are from God or not. We don’t use our feelings, emotions and worldly knowledge to test, but God’s word. This requires that we are first knowledgeable and grounded in God’s word. In this way, we are safe.

1 John 4:1 "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
1 Timothy 4:16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 10:27-29 "He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” - NIV

He was an expert in the religious law. He came to test Jesus by asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus referred him to what the law said. He stated it correctly. And Jesus told him to do that and live. He still wanted to justify himself, by asking who his neighbour was. There were many such experts of the law Jesus sharply rebuked for their full knowledge of the righteous requirements of the law, but didn’t practice it.

We live in an information era. There is too much people know although it has not transformed them. This includes relationship with God. People know so much of what God expects of them. But few actually put it into practice in their lives. They are full of head knowledge
of God’s word, could quote and recite the scriptures. But the fruit of their lives shows otherwise. That’s the difference between theory and practice, head knowledge and life transformation.

If whatever we know about God and His word has not first transformed our lives, then what we have is religion without relationship. The ultimate purpose of God’s word is to transform us into God’s nature of holiness, righteousness, truth and justice. The more the word gets in and changes us from within, the more we reflect God’s nature in all we do externally. Others should be able to see God in us. The tragedy of our time is many professing believers without corresponding fruit! How is it with you?

Matthew 5:16 "In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Numbers 13:1-2,33 "The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”…We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” - NIV

Moses, at God’s instruction, sent men to explore the land of Canaan. The men brought a good report about the land, flowing with milk and honey and fruit. But the giants, the descendants of Anak and the fortified cities, made them feel they couldn’t attack. But Caleb stood and silenced them. The other spies saw defeat, because of how they felt before the giants. Caleb saw victory because he knew the God leading them to posses the land of promise.

How we see, and from which perspective matters. From our own eyes, giants will make us feel like grasshoppers, walled cities will scare us into fear and withdrawal from the dreams we want to achieve. From God’s perspective, we shall defeat the giants, breakthrough every barrier and attain the victory He destined for us to achieve. Later, Israel defeated those giants and inherited the land because of God on their side. You too will.

When forces and situations contrary to your God given assignment in life makes you seem insignificant like grasshoppers, look at it from God’s perspective. Our human sight and abilities limit us. And surely we will not make it on our own. But God being on our side, no mountain will be too high to climb, no enemy too strong to defeat, no assignment or dream too hard to achieve – because nothing is impossible with God. The God Who miraculously brought them from Egypt, would surely deliver them to the land of promise. He will do that for us despite the mountains, valleys and battles we face along the way. Go forth in His name. Praise God!

Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

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 they do. But if only we could learn to wait on God, get His counsel and marching instructions in all we do, we would remain peaceful. Most troubles in life could be avoided by doing this one needful thing. 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!

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

Ezekiel 3:3-4 "Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them."- NIV

This was at the call of prophet Ezekiel while the Jews were in exile in Babylon. They were stubborn and rebellious. Prophet Ezekiel was to go and speak God’s word to a people who would or would not listen. But he had to first be filled with words from God. Symbolically, God gave him a scroll full of His word to eat and fill his stomach with it. When full of His word, Ezekiel was commissioned to “go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.”

Such a charge was not only to Ezekiel, but to everyone with the responsibility and call to speak God’s word to others. We must, of necessity, eat and be full of God’s word. And out of the fulness thereof, to speak forth. Whatever fills a person is what comes out in their speech. Some do not have His word or not full of it and yet speak. This partly explains rampant distortion of God’s word, bringing much disrepute. They don’t give the full counsel of God to their hearers. The content of their message is not purely God’s, but mixed with their own and even demonic teachings!

Critical to being filled with the word, is to eat it. This means deliberately and regularly spending quality time in the word, allowing it room in your heart to transform your life, and obeying it. Out of the depth of this transformation, what you deliver to others will not be hearsay, but from first hand experience. I pray every minister of the word of God takes this counsel to heart as Paul carefully did. Hear him:

Acts 20:27 "For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God."

1 Timothy 4:16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 12:1-3 "Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." - NIV

Jesus had just severely rebuked the Pharisees for their religious hypocrisy. So much of what they did was for a physical show of piety but inside their hearts was a different story. So much was done under the cover of the law, their religious beliefs and traditions. But Jesus saw their true motives. They even plotted to kill Him contrary to the law they claimed to uphold. All of it would be revealed for what it really was; pretense and lies.

Hypocrisy is pretense, hiding true motives and presenting something else. People do so much pretending to be honest and committed to what is true right and just, but deep within carry totally different and evil intentions. The talk in secret is different from what they show publicly. Jesus said all these will be revealed. Hypocrisy is not sustainable. The danger with it is that it brings much shame at the end when its coverings give way. It is deceptive, hollow and leaves those who love it hanging.

We may cover up things, lie and succeed with people. But God Who sees all that people think, plan, say and do, in secret and in the open knows the truth even if we use His name to make it appear sacred. He calls us to walk in truth, love, honesty and in the light with each other. We are warned to be aware and to avoid the yeast of the Pharisees, hypocrisy, which defiles our true relationship with God. That’s double dealing with God and Satan.

Hebrews 4:13 "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Luke 14:26,27, 33 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--- yes, even his own life---he cannot be my disciple… In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." - NIV

These are some of the hard statements Jesus made to His followers. Having seen Him perform miracles of various kinds, including providing food, and the enormous popularity He had, some people thought it strategic and nice to be His followers for the benefits they would get. Large crowds followed Him for that reason. At a certain point, some had been with Jesus for three continuous days.

Thinking this was how life would always be as His followers, Jesus told them there was a much higher price to be His disciple, than just followers. They had to count the cost. This meant making Him truly Lord and Master of their lives and prioritise Him over their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters or their own views and desires. Thus the statement He made above. They should be willing to deny themselves, take up their crosses daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Out of the crowds of followers, what God considers and takes seriously are disciples;  willing, committed and loyal learners at whatever cost. Followers do so out of curiosity, convenience, with no much attachment and could turn back anytime they wish. They may attend church as part of social gatheting, participate in some activities just to keep busy and build their social capital. Disciples have made up their minds to be with Him. He is their Lord with the final word. Is this a fatalistic result of brainwashing devoid of logic? Certainly not. The LORD we surrender to is our Creator Who knows it all and has the best for us.

Jesus commisioned the church to go and make disciples. He calls us to be disciples and to make disciples. This speaks of the quality of  believers, not just the crowds and numbers for popularity. Are you a follower or disciple?

Luke 9:62 "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Shalom children of God.