Daily Devotionals

Do Good to All

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 25:35-36,40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’… “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”

Jesus in this teaching related how service in the kingdom of God is viewed, and how it will be at the judgment. It reveals what is in the heart of God in feeling and caring for suffering humanity. All the categories of people listed are needy, disadvantaged or under privileged – the hungry, homeless, sick, imprisoned, elderly, children, disabled. They are God’s precious people, even though they may be the least in the sight of men. Jesus called them His brothers. Such are plentious all around us, giving an opportunity to minister to the Lord through them.

By being sensitive to them, thinking about and meeting their needs, you become an extension of God’s hand to them. Some of these people may be burdensome to others because of prolonged abnormal conditions needing continuous support. Their plight touches God’s heart. If we have His kind of heart, we should similarly be touched by the suffering of others and always avail ourselves to do good to them. Practicing compassionate care not only meets their needs, but it also qualifies one to inherit God’s kingdom(V.34).

Let’s seek to genuinely meet the needs of people we meet. Everyone is needy at one point or another, and everyone has something they can offer to meet someone else’ need. That’s powerful ministry to God and humanity.

Proverbs 19.17 “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”

1 John 3:17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Shalom children of God.

Whatever He tells you, do it:
The call to childlike obedience

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

John 2.5 “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” – NIV

They were attending a wedding in Cana. Jesus had not gone into public ministry yet. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother came to inform Him about it. Jesus told her He had nothing to do with it, and that His time had not yet come. Any way, by faith, she went ahead to preempt Him by telling the servants there to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Jesus instructed the servants to fill the big water jars with water. They did. He asked them to draw the water (now turned into wine)and take to the master of ceremonies. They did. Whatever He told them to do, they simply did that.

What God tells us to do, however crazy and humanly illogical it may appear, only requires our simple obedience. He asks us to do our part. And He does His. We may not know everything, how things will work out to produce the results we expect or desire, but we can only obediently believe and trust His word. The key is to be sure you heard Him, an not assume.
God still operates that way. He requires our simple obedience to whatever He instructs us to do. He asked Lazarus’ sisters to roll away the stone at his tomb before He raised Lazarus.

Before He does whatever He wants to do for and through us, God wants simple obedience without much complication just as a child will obey without much logical reasoning. Does God want us to operate like puppets? No. He gave us the brains and minds to think and rationalise issues. But there are things beyond reason that requires simple obedience in faith for Him to act. When we so do, His limitless power is released to work on our behalf. Trust Him. He never misleads.

Trust and obey,
there us no other way,
to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.” – KJV

Shalom children of God.

Fear

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

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Proverbs 29.25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” – NIV

Fear is such a strong force that has caused unimaginable things to happen or fail to happen. People fear for various reasons, good or bad, such as rejection, lose of possessions, uncertainties, harm or lose of life. Good fear is reverential fear of God. Bad fear is any other apart from the fear of God. We respond to what we fear. That’s why the scripture above says when we fear man, it proves to be a snare. It leads to bondage. You cease to be yourself and do things you wouldn’t normally do or things contrary to your values and beliefs. Fear suppresses release of your potential and gifting. It puts you in a box. Some people thrive on imposing fear on others.

The fear of God liberates. It makes us hate evil and ushers us into our God set destiny. It builds communion that secures and empowers us to be what we were created to be. As we reflect upon our lives, there are probably many good things we have missed, opportunities lost, connections unsecured, projects and dreams never attempted… all because of fear. Although it is good to be cautious about certain things, fear will paralyze even the obviously clear. God desires to set us free from the fear of man. This doesn’t mean arrogant rebellion. We should give due respect to all in the fear of God.

The scripture above gives one antidote to fear; trust in the Lord. We don’t know what lies ahead. But we trust the One Who holds our future. He will not fail us. And so we face tomorrow and every scary situation with confidence. With this confidence, we can face tough situations and resist even the mightiest of men if what they want to push us to is contrary to God’s will and purpose. Is your fear toward God or man centred?

Psalms 27.1-3 “The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”

Shalom children of God.

Distinguish Yourself

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Daniel 6.3-4 “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”

Daniel, a Jew in exile in a heathen Babylonian/Medo-Persian kingdom, was now serving under king Darius. He was privileged to be among 127 administrators appointed to manage government affairs and reporting to the king. Daniel DISTINQUISHED himself in his service by the qualities he had that the king got impressed and planned to make him govern the whole kingdom so that he wouldn’t suffer loss. Daniel’s key quality was integrity in administration which was guided by his deep relationship with God. Even with a planned move to trap him by his colleagues, they found no grounds of corruption, mistrust or negligence of duty.
Corruption is as old as the fall of man. But Daniel’s story teaches us that with God’s help and personal purpose of heart, one can live above corruption and be exceptional in service wherever they are placed. It’s a choice. And God honors those decisions we make to stand in integrity for His name’s sake. We live in an increasingly wicked world. Evil is the norm. But we can distinguish ourselves, stand out of the crowd of evil doers like Daniel amidst all this wickedness. It is sad that some of those who identify themselves with God are part of the messes and scandals instead of being solutions in society today!

Can it be said of you as a Christian, called by the name of a righteous, just and holy God, wherever you are serving, that you are “… trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”? In your various work placements, may you purpose to be one. Decide and be willing to pay any price to distinguish yourself for God’s sake. And God will give the enablement to do so.

Genesis 39.9 “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Shalom children of God. Have a distinguished week of work

Where is Your Foundation?

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 7.24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

It had been a very long sermon on the mountain side, to a large crowd that gathered to listen to Him. As He concluded, well knowing how people choose to respond, Jesus made the statement above. There are those who take seriously what they listen to and act on it, while others take it lightly, ignore or despise what they hear. The word has been, and continues to be preached through various means daily. How we choose to respond determines whether we have laid the foundation of our lives on the rock or sand. Some may claim to have laid their foundation on God and yet not so in reality.

The rock represents Jesus, the rock of our salvation. Sand stands for anything else apart from Christ in which men put their trust. These includes material things, money, self achievements, or other people. The only difference between the two is whether one puts into practice what they heard or not. They both listen to the same word, from the same source. Both categories of people were faced with the test conditions; the rain, the storms, the winds blowing and beating against the house. The one laid on the rock stands while the one on sand falls.

A foundation is hidden, but determines the strength of the house. It doesn’t lie when the moment of truth strikes. Only the trials of life will tell. Like it or not, the challenges of life come to all. In Christ, you are not exempted from tough situations. But the basis of our faith makes us stand and not fall. All other grounds (read things we trust) are sinking sand. They may not help in the trials of life. Is your life truly founded on the rock? If not, you can lay it on Christ today, by making Him Lord of your life.

Matthew 7.26-27 “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Jesus.

Shalom children of God.

When it’s time to move, move

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Deuteronomy 1.6-8 “The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites… See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers– to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob– and to their descendants after them.””

In their journey from Egypt to Canaan, the land of promise and plenty, the Israelites had stopped at Horeb. They settled for long untill God told them to break camp and advance towards their land of promise. Even with all the many people’s who still occupied the land, the Lord’s word was clear; “I have given you this land”! God had sworn hundreds of years earlier to give them that land. It was therefore God’s business to remove the settlers and establish them in the land. Theirs was to go in and take possession.

We sometimes settle before our promised destinations/expectations for various reasons. It may be that the current location and situation looks good enough. At times we are not certain of what lies ahead, so we better grab and settle for what is at hand. We may even be tired of fighting, waiting and trying especially when the promise appears too far and resistance so fierce. The longer we are in some state, the more we adjust and come to accept it as the norm. And before we know, we are okay with it. Sometimes even the past begins to be appealing again, as did the Israelites when they longed for what they left in Egypt. Early settlement is the beginning of backsliding and a hindrance to progress.

However good or tough the present may be, God always has something better ahead. Every blessing or trial at present is only meant to enable us get to our actual destiny. He has made promises to us. He is taking us somewhere. When we settle for what is presently looking good, we miss the best ahead. We should keep moving, however slow it may seem. Have you settled for less in your walk with God? Has the present blurred your vision of what lies ahead? Purpose to break camp and disturb the status quo. Great glories await yonder.

Shalom children of God.

When sin becomes utterly horrible

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

Proverbs 8:13 “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

Why do people love sin? Because they have not seen sin from the perspective of a holy God. Seeing things from God’s perspective starts with the fear of God. And when His fear is perfected in us, we will hate evil the way He does. Sin is distasteful to God, and it should be so to us who profess His name.

Many people claim to fear and honor God. But their lives and conduct shows the opposite. When Isaiah saw the LORD God in His glory, he began to abhor sin. He confessed it even before God could point it out to him. When Paul met Christ, the things he used to treasure all of a sudden became like rubbish. In Romans 7:22-25, he expressed how he struggled with sin in his body, while deep within he knew the right things to do. Many go through this kind of struggle.

The reason some continue in sin, secret or open, despite their claims to know and love God is because they haven’t experienced God in His holiness. When you do, sin becomes utterly horrible. You will loathe what you once enjoyed. You will hate it and desire only righteousness, truth and justice, whatever the price You might pay for them. You will live a life that honors God as His character of holiness fills you. I pray you see sin from God’s perspective and hate it the way He does.

Shalom children of God.

Walking by Faith

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

2 Corinthians 5.7 “We live by faith, not by sight.”

Faith is so central to the Christian faith that literally everything we do in our lives centres around it. Our walk with God starts, is sustained and will be accomplished by faith. Hebrews 11:6 declares that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

We all live by things we physically see or not. What we see is the tangible material things which are temporary. What we don’t see are the intangible, deep convictions, values, principles and beliefs which actually sustain and make us what we become. Although we don’t see God, still we believe in His existence and great abilities to accomplish what is impossible to us.

To emphasize the importance of faith, Jesus dramatically demonstrated by cursing a tree which didn’t have fruit He wanted to eat. When His disciples were mesmerized, He began to teach them saying, “Have faith in God… “(Mark 11:22). He would always look out for faith in those who sought His healing and help.
To live by faith means to have our lives anchored, guided and established on God Who is unseen, hope in His sure word and promises, knowing and believing that He is true to them – despite the raging storms. It means to look beyond what our eyes and senses see and feel now. The devil wants us to focus more on the physical storms, failures, etc to kill faith. But beyond that, God has a different report. That is the walk of faith God called us to.

Shalom children of God. Have a peaceful productive week.

Hope in Death

By Pastor Aggrey Soyekwo

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

The subject of death, for some people, would rather be left out because of the painful memories of lose of loved ones, the uncertainties and fears of what lies yonder. And yet it is a reality we are destined for as the scripture above states. It comes in different forms and timing for everyone. The bible calls it the last enemy to be defeated. Except for those who will be alive at the coming of the Lord who will be transformed, the rest of humanity will face physical death.

The bible says our lives on earth may take 70 to 80 years(Psalm 90:10). Afew others spend less or more than that. This is so short a time compared to eternity. In the quest for comfortable meaningful lives, people struggle, fight, cheat, kill and oppress, instead of love, forgive, support and live in harmony with one another. And yet some of these things we seek elude us. And soon we are gone to face our Creator.

Friends, death is inevitable for every mortal human. One day, our lives on earth will come to an end. But we must know it’s not the end. It’s a transition from mortality into immortality and eternity (in heaven or hell). This life is temporary, a preparation for eternity, time without end. Everyone would do well to utilise time on earth to adequately prepare for their next eternal destination. The best form of preparation is to live a life that honors God our Creator before Whom we shall all stand in judgment to give account. To the believer in Christ, death is a glorious expectation to be much looked up to. To those who reject His ways, its a dreadful eternal expectation!

Psalm116:15 “Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.”

1 Thessalonians 4.13 “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope… ”

Revelation 14:13 “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Shalom children of God.