“Read your Bible, pray every day if you want to grow” and others like that.

Today a casual reflection tells us that we live in a world of chaos and disorder, lies and falsehood, selfishness and unkindness, me, myself and mine, power mongering, discrimination and racism, love of money, and such challenging difficult issues of life. Right now, I am reminded of a Bible text in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 that predicts our current state of life as humanity as “Difficult Times will come” thus:

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these”.

It seems to me that the prophecy of over 2,000 years ago is becoming a reality in our day and time worldwide beginning from America, Nigeria, Europe, etc. The state of affairs seems scary and hopeless.

This is why we all are being encouraged to keep on the tradition of reading the word of God and praying every day, commiting our life individually and as a family, as well as our community and the world to God Christ who is able to guide us aright, protect us from all evils and continue to live a Christ centered life of integrity, love, joy and peace to promote mutual coexistence and community development. In this age of social media and AI, it will do us well to know the right way and limit of our human inventions.

Today, we are all encouraged to keep meditating on the word of God that stands forever and order our lives accordingly. Let us adhere to the Scriptures at Proverbs 3:5-6,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight”.

It is not enough to keep reading and meditating on the word of God, but acting on it as way of life for our best interest. We must intentionally invite Jesus Christ to be the Savior and Lord of our life. He is the One who died for our sins through His resurrection. That’s how we receive the power of the Holy Spirit after confession and repentance of our sin. The Holy Spirit henceforth will be God Christ person in our life as Comforter, Teacher, Helper, the One who convicts us when we sin and redirects us to truth and righteousness. He is our Advocate who helps us when short of words to express our hearts in prayer to God. If not yet, we need to invite Jesus into our life.

Life said few weeks ago, that’s the best and most important decision of life for anyone of us to make.

May God Himself grant us the spirit of humility to order our life appropriately under the lordship of Jesus Christ day by day. That’s the way to eternal life.

Blessed day and week to everyone.

The first text is in the OT at Isaiah 55:1 as follows: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost”.

That’s an invitation from God our Creator and Enabler to come just as we are, and in our helplessness, emptiness and hopelessness and desperation to seek and get help from Him who created the entire world and has all life’s resources at His grip. This invitation implies that we humble ourselves and be willing to seek help to meet all our genuine desperate needs that He, God only can help us to resolve and overcome.

We all have some needs in our lives that it’s only God who can help us to navigate and see us through. Our God has it all and is limitless and unlimited. We trust in Him by faith to get from Him. Personal needs, career, emotional, physical, spiritual or psychological needs; dating, marriage or family struggles as well as social interpersonal unmanageable, difficult needs, etc are all within God’s reach and ability to help us resolve as long as we humble ourselves coming to seek His face for help. God is our helper, shield, security and protector, come rain or sunshine!

The second Bible text is inscribed in the NT whereby the incarnated God Son, Jesus extends the invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 as follows:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light”.

Jesus is the visible historical representation of the invisible God in heaven we cannot see. Jesus was miraculously and mysteriously born through the Virgin Mary. He came not only to show us who and what God in heaven in like, but also lived sinless, pure life of truth and righteousness and died to pay for the remission of our human sin. He came to save and redeem us back to God.

Jesus is God man in human flesh, fully human and fully God, but without any iota of sin or impunity in Him. That’s why He is our Savior and Lord of our life and His Church. He is the only One acceptable to God as penalty for our human sin. Thus He has become our living Savior and Lord of our live. He gives victory over sin, Satan, death and demons.

So His invitation to us sinful humanity to help us out of our wretchedness is authentic and powerful. That’s why He is calling and beckoning on us to humbly come to Him to save and redeem us helping us over situations and life’s issues that we cannot help ourselves. We don’t have to keep suffering endlessly when God by Himself invites us to get much needed help.

So these two texts of the Bible are commended to us as we may have need of. We have a living, all powerful, all knowing and ever present God to help us in times of need. No one can help us like our God Christ Himself because He knows us in and out.

May God Himself draw us closer to Himself by the power of His Holy Spirit so we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Perhaps, and most likely that statement finds root in the Bible. The word of God encourages young people in Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them”.

The earlier in life one turns their heart toward God and embraces its biblical truth, the better one lives a stress free good successful life in every sector. Embracing the word of God gives guidance, direction, wisdom and assures love, joy, peace and self control and discipline in righteousness. And guess what? One would daily experience God’s presence and power to help in every situation.

A more fundamental advice, responsibility and Godly encouragement in parenting task is, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

If there is a parenting principle that humanity needs to embrace for a true life of freedom, integrity, love, peaceful coexistence in righteousness and advancement, this text ought to be one way to experience and accomplish it.

Having a genuine personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not anti science and progress, but rather advances it because God is the root of all knowledge no matter how sophisticated. God is the One who endows us as humanity.

The Bible says that God is love (I John 4:7) and His kind of love is unconditional and all embracing without any iota of evil. We all have a need to be loved and have ability to love. Nothing guarantees a noble life, marriage and family life as well as the society than for us to love one another like God loves us in Christ Jesus. And this expressive love irrespective of our differences!

Just in case if anyone reading this material may not have embraced God Christ early in life, or is running away from God like a prodigal son, it is never too late. No one is too sinful to come to Jesus! He welcomes everyone! All you have to do is to renounce and confess your sins and forsake asking His loving forgiveness and trust Him as your Savior and Lord of your life. May you accept the grace of God to turn your life over to Jesus today in your current situation.

We are encouraged no longer to delay our decision for embracing Jesus!

The usual traditional way of interpreting this text is in the sexual connotation to avoid its abuse, period! As much as that is essentially part of the connotation and interpretation, a wider, deeper look, interpretation and implication with application suggests that it is not and should not be limited to that, but using and adding the other many parts of our human body at large as being an instrument and expression of honoring God, our Maker and Creator.

Our eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet, even our mental faculty, creativity and giftedness, everything we call ours actually belong to God Christ and ought to be used to honor Him and bring glory to His holy name. This is the way to live a productive life that counts for eternity in the best benefit of mankind. Some immoral people think and claim that it is their body and can use it and any part thereof any way they like! Today’s biblical text is telling us such thinking is wrong because we did not create ourselves, but we belong to God.

There is an inspired Christian song titled, “Take my life and let it be consecrated to God”. It mentions several parts of our human body in the lyrics which is a powerful prayer and commitment to order one’s life: My hands, my feet, my voice, my silver and my gold, my moments and my days, my will and my heart be used as an extension of ceaseless praise to God, our Maker by the power of His Holy Spirit.

That’s a powerful way to order the use of every part of our body every day for our best benefit of joy, peace and ministration as children of God encouraging souls toward Christ Jesus and making a positive influence in our world.

In case of any of my readers feel convicted of the Holy Spirit to have missed this injunction and standard, all one needs to do is simply to ask God for forgiveness and grace with strength and wisdom to change and start doing the right thing with the help of the Holy Spirit.

May we all daily dedicate our life starting today and doing so every day in the mighty name of Jesus. Living purposefully for Jesus is the best way to live and best life decision to make.

God’s blessings abound for everyone today and always.

Sin has long term damaging effects on our life if unchecked as per Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus”. Sin is an act of the will that started with the first man Adam and woman, Eve, an intentional disobedience to God’s instruction, guidance and directives for good life. For us who are living after them, it is an inherited inborn phenomenon in human species that no one necessarily teaches another. A toddler instinctively lies, steals and disobeys for self preservation. However the kind of training received early in life either enhances and encourages sinful habit or disabuses sinful lifestyle in righteousness. That’s why the Bible teaches and instructs parents to teach a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it when he is old (Proverbs 22:6).

Far more important to rescue us from the devastating power and destructive effects of sin however is God’s initiative and unconditional love for humanity: “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That’s how God helps us deal with the problem of sin when we open to Him our life confessing and repenting of sin and ask for His loving forgiveness. That’s the purpose for which Jesus Christ came to the world and went to the Cross to die for our sin and change our attitude toward sin. That’s an act of faith, repentance and newness of life that turns our life around and gives us a new life to become children of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 expressly states, “Therefore, If any one is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things have passed away, behold, the new things have come. Now, all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”.

That’s what it means to be born again and being filled with the Holy Spirit and engaging in a lifestyle that pleases the Lord God.

It is a personal decision and act that no one else can do for another. Everyone of us ought to examine our hearts today if we are still living in sin as a lifestyle or we have genuinely repented embracing the new life in Christ Jesus. John 3:17-18 said, “God did not send His Son to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”.

I pray with you to make the right decision for yourself to rid sin and its powerful effects out of your life and embrace the new life controlled by the Holy Spirit of God in the name of Jesus.

Blessed day and blessed week ahead in the name of Jesus Christ.

The two destructive thoughts that shouldn’t be tolerated to control us are Worry and Anxiety. Excessive worry is negative thinking about our current life situations while anxiety is the negative thinking about what is yet to happen. While some level of worry and anxiety may positively motivate us toward accomplishing, the excessive worry and anxiety can be destructive preventing us accomplishing tasks toward successful positivity.

This is why Jesus’s and biblical injunctions for believers in Him is very helpful and beneficial.

In Matthew 6:25, 33, Jesus encourages us, “Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”. Here, Jesus is talking about first thing first, making our faith in God Christ more important to shape our thinking and behavior than food or clothing.

In I Peter 5:6-7, we are encouraged, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand, that He might exalt you the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”. Humility is a Christian virtue that allows our life under God’s dominion and sovereignty and not we ourselves directing our life and its future. Realistically, God knows us and our future more than us! As we so trust Him, He will always come to our aid to work it out guiding and directing us in the best way as we commit our desires to Him rather than being anxious about tomorrow. Also God loves and cares for everyone of us and desires the best of life for us if only we order and live our life according to His will for us and not recklessly pleasing selfish pursuit and the evil one.

Another helpful Bible guidance is preferred for us in Philippians 4:6-7 thus, “Have no anxiety about anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. That’s an injunction and encouragement not to engage ourselves in fears and anxieties of unknown tomorrow, but suffice for today trusting God to guide and see us through. Tomorrow will take care of itself with same trust in our God Christ and power thereof.

Excessive worries and anxieties are a gradual killer to avoid and faith in God is always available to help us trusting in obedience. While there may be medical route of treating excessive worries and anxieties, simple faith and trust in God Christ help us from dependence on perpetual medications with costly expense and possible other side effects.

Are you currently being excessively worried and anxious, we are encouraged to let our faith in God help us as admonished in His word. In Proverbs 3:5-8, we are fundamentally encouraged to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not in your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment the your bones”.

Several years ago in my Christian experience I heard a statement about the Christian faith that has remained indelible in me since, never forgotten! It said that the Christian faith is not a religion, but a personal relationship with God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth through Jesus Christ. That God who we cannot see, but of His unconditional love, revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. The mysterious birth of Jesus is a historical fact and reality for the benefit of mankind (John 3:16).

Anchoring our life on this Jesus makes sense because He said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly”. That’s the primary mission of Jesus, God’s Son, to give us life more abundantly. That’s the kind of life that is meaningful, purposeful and fulfilling with joy, peace and contentment. It is a life of truth, righteousness and integrity enabled by power of the Holy Spirit, God Christ presence and power inside us. The world religion, and there are many of them cannot give us the kind of life the Jesus gives as we intentionally trust Him by faith for our daily life. In another place at John 14:6, Jesus emphatically said, “I am the way, and truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.

In our lostness, uncertainty and predicaments and struggles of life, we find direction in and through faith in Jesus.

How do we intentionally and strategically begin this kind of life anchored in Jesus? It is by admitting, confessing and renouncing our sinful life style, asking for forgiveness and inviting Jesus into our heart and life as Savior and Lord and daily live for Him. His promised presence of the Holy Spirit will henceforth be our Comforter, Teacher, Guide, Enabler and Intercessor henceforth in our journey of life. We need Jesus to help us in every area of our life where we may be struggling unable to help ourselves.

Dear reader, are you struggling with life and challenges and difficulties of life seem to overwhelm you? We are encouraged to invite Jesus into our life and situations by faith to let Him help us through this life and eternity. Thereafter, maintain a life of daily meditation on the the word of God, the Bible and prayer, find a Bible believing Church where you will fellowship regularly and grow in your Christian experience. Please be reminded that the Christian faith is a daily lifestyle, not a religion where people struggle to find God instead of believing and trusting in the revealed God through Jesus Christ. May God help us to find and trust in Him and start living a life of authenticity that is secured in Christ. Amen.

Another scenario is for many male gender to look down on females as been inferior to their own superiority. But for an enlightened person, male or female, gone should be the days for such a mindset. Male and female differences ought not be seen as discriminatory or inferiority basis, but maybe on physique only. And even as far back as Jesus’s day, the Scripture teaches us we are all created equal with dignity and significance by God, male and female God created them in His own image as per Genesis 1:26-27. In essence we are people of value and substance meant to complement one another in our respective areas of weakness and shortcomings, even in marriage. Women are not only for carrying pregnancy and raising children. It is the responsibility of both man and woman married together in love and care, not only for each other, but also for raising their children likewise together. Gone are the days when women are only to stay as home makers even though some men still seem to believe and practice that way simply because they can afford it.

In John 4, Jesus met a woman described as a Samaritan woman at the well where she came to fetch water. The Samaritan community is a mixed Jewish race married to none Jew for which they were despised by the “full Jews”. Ordinarily, such ‘proud’ Jews would have no relationship with the none pure Jews, the Samaritan, especially Samaritan women let alone talk with them in public. But here, Jesus broke the protocol inspite of the then culture.

Jesus initiated the discussion by asking the Samaritan woman to give Him water to drink to which the woman raised the discriminatory issue, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who says to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you the living water”. She said to Him, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is so deep. Where then do You get that living water? ….

Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw water” (verses 7-16).

Thereby,Jesus brought new higher greater quality order than mundane discriminatory gender idea rendering it somewhat archaic and unnecessary. Jesus’s concept of spiritual water is a true life giving gift of salvation through eternity for which He came to give to mankind. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The salvation that Jesus brought is for all humanity irrespective of gender, race, color or geographical location, etc. That’s true freedom from the power of sin and evil turning our life around to spiritual newness (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Unfortunately, some Churches still discriminate on gender basis even today in the 21st century! Some Churches disallow a woman to be a Deacon or Pastor! They claim such are men’s roles only in the Church! And this inspite of God who is the One who calls and gives the gift to perform one task or the another through His Holy Spirit. Performing roles in the Church as given and inspired by the Holy Spirit is not and cannot be a sin, but positive contribution and enhancement of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God Christ who loves and cares so much for everyone engaging in no sinless discrimination to redeem us to Himself. May we all enjoy our freedom in Christ to do exploits for Him and no longer bound by unholy human tradition, limitations and discrimination of no eternal value.

One of the biblical teachings for our wellbeing is that of the practice or attitude or lifestyle of expressing appreciation or thanks for who we are, especially as God’s creature for we are beautifully and wonderfully made (Psalm 8). Whatever talents we may have and good positions in life ultimately is made possible by our God.

Jesus told the story of some ten lepers who came to Him for healing at Luke 17: 11-19, He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they were going, they all found themselves being healed, but only one of them returned back to Jesus to express grateful thanks. And he was highly commended thus: “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine, where are they? … And Jesus said to the grateful heart, ‘Stand up and go, your faith has made you well” (vs 17, 19). This grateful soul was the one permanently and wholesomely healed! That’s an illustration and benefit of a thankful heart.

As people of faith in God, we ought to learn to express our grateful appreciation to God for being our Maker and Creator, as well as the Sustainer of our life. Our eternal salvation made possible by Jesus’s sacrifice on the Cross is a life changer experience for every born again child of God for which we ought to be daily and perpetually grateful to God. Apostle Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”.

We are also encouraged to learn to give thanks in every circumstances of life because this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus (I Thessalonians 5:18). Apostle Paul who was highly inspired to pen several of the New Testament epistles opens every one of them with heart of gratitude to God who miraculously saved him and called him to be His anointed vessel and servant and Apostle!

Even when we find ourselves in seemingly relatively bad situation, we are to trust God because all things work together for good for those who love God and called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Every prayer we embark to pray ought to start with recognizing God’s wonderful nature and revelation to us for who he is and what He means to us and does in our life daily.

Why should we cultivate a heart of gratitude to God and to our fellow human beings who bless us with good things? Such a heart is calmly peaceful and emotionally joyful, stabled and focused, and an encourager to other fellow human beings. We all feel gracefully delighted for such a grateful heart!

The challenge to every reader of this writeup is to be an embodiment of grateful heart. If not yet, we are all capable of doing so for the gift and revelation of God Christ, the gift of our life bestowed to us and sustained thereby, the gift of family and what we mean to one another, the gift of the Church and the Holy Spirit manifestations inside us in fruit of love, joy, peace… and self control.

May this day and every day be an expression of gratitude to God, everyone and everyone good thing that we richly enjoy. And may we be a channel of blessing to humanity for which recipients will continually have reason to be grateful.

“Train up a child in the way of God (in the formative, early life) and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.

The study of Psychology teaches that the formative early life of a child, about the first ten years or so, is very important for nurturing, raising and training a child to solidify their faith and values into their adulthood. While other pressures and values of life may impact the value and choices made by growing child that may lure the child away, the parent should keep praying and believing in the sited promise of God in His word because God’s word is Yes and Amen to be ultimately fulfilled in the life of the growing adult child by His grace. Additionally, the parent should keep loving, caring and encouraging the child positively and continually in the way of God, but not intrusively. The Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit of God that does the work of conviction of sin and faith conversion toward the way of God as per Jesus’s word in John 16:8, “And when He, the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment”.

Perhaps, another appropriate illustration is the story of the Prodigal son also told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32 who asked his father for his inheritance while the father was still alive, only to squander it in reckless and wide living, losing everything to the extent of feeding on swine food. And then he came to his senses remembering his loving home and how he had been nurtured and decided to return to his father’s loving embrace. This is an illustration of our heavenly Father’s unconditional accepting love of a wayward sinful person. No one is too lost or sinful for our God Christ not to warmly embrace and help towards a turn around life of truth, freedom from sin and humble righteousness.

Another way in which God’s promise of an unbelieving adult child may return back to Godly faith may through life’s challenges making for no peace and joy and seeking lasting solutions in their inner being. One could have good things of life, but restlessness and inner turmoils wondering where to turn for good joyful peace and inner contentment. While money and material goods are good to have, these by themselves do not ensure lasting peace and joy and contentment which are gifts from faith believing in God Christ. King Solomon of the Bible’s inspired word said that all is vanity without God in our inner being. He concluded by saying, “The conclusion, when all has been heard is: Fear God and keep His commandments”

Finally, we are all encouraged to accept the reality of our being human is our limitations and not knowing it all. We need God Christ, a power that is greater than us to live a fulfilled life that transcends beyond the physical and material through eternity. We all need God Christ and His promises to make our life worth living.

Those who have researched claim that the Bible contains about eight thousand promises of God for us who trust and have faith in Him.

May we humbly receive the grace of God to trust Him and be beneficiaries of His promises for the totality of our life for a great life of fulfillment, joy, peace and serene confidence and contentment in Christ Jesus’s name.

In Jesus’s days, some of His disciples came to Him as He was attempting to heal a blind person and asked Him, “Who sinned that the man was born blind: this man or his parents that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither this man nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be glorified or displayed in him” (John 9:1-3).

It can presumably be assumed that the thinking of Jesus’s disciples was that blindness of the man was caused as a result of sin of either the blind man himself or his parents! Don’t we also sometimes think that way rationalizing human misfortune, trauma or disaster of any magnitude as if we know the complete truth? But such a thinking could only be an assumption at best and not certainty! It’s only God Christ who knows it all as evident in the quoted Scripture. He is the only One who knows it all to whom we ought to give the credit and trust completely with our life.

The Bible describes God as the Creator of the entire universe and the galaxies by the power of His might, including humanity, you and I by the breath of His might as a living being as per Genesis 1-2. He gives us life creating us in His own image and apportions the length of years for each to live on earth as per Psalm 24.

Psalm 139 decribes God as the epitome, the all knowing God, all powerful God, ever present God who is everywhere all at the same time. God had always being from eternity to eternity without any shadow of doubt.

The greatest manifestation of this God is that “He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus that whoever believes in Him shall not die, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He became human to redeem us back to Himself.

Unlike God, the self knowledge of ourselves is significant, but it is not enough. None of us has absolute and complete knowledge of ourselves or someone else, because realistically we are humanly limited. And this ought to humble us so we can surrender our life to the lordship of God Christ who knows it all.

This food for thought writeup today is intended to inspire us to trust Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord of our life for a meaningful life, engagement and experience as per John 10:10.

May God Himself help us to know and humbly accept our human limitations and commit our lives to the care of the unlimited God, our Heavenly Father who loves and desires everyone of us to come to His saving knowledge in the name of Jesus, the Christ.

While we praise God for the nation of America with her political freedom founded on God and His word, we know that real freedom is personal and not political, eternal and not temporal. Political freedom of a nation does not necessarily guarantee the freedom of the soul of the individual citizens. As a matter of fact, political freedom can be easily abused by the leaders of the nation, especially if the love of the nation is asserted over and above God Christ.

The word of God says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore stand firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). The kind of freedom Jesus offers us is freedom from the power of sin that originates inside our soul through repentance and forgiveness via His precious blood shed on the Cross. This was made possible by the love of God based on His grace and mercy. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

And Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”.

True freedom comes by faith in the accomplished work of Christ Jesus and our becoming a new person with no more consuming appetite for sin. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things have passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

True freedom manifests itself in no more desire for sinful lifestyle. “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love one another” (Galatians 5:13).

As we celebrate the 4th of July this week, I pray we all find our true freedom in Christ Jesus and strive in the power of the Holy Spirit to live for Jesus with all intentionality. May the love of Christ that saved us and gave if real freedom enable us to love others like Jesus drawing the unsaved souls to Him as His disciples. May our continue to shine that people will see our good works and glory God our Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16).

Blessed week to everyone.

John 16:8, “And when He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness and judgment”. While the Church has the responsibility and commission of reaching the world for Christ, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict you and I of sin leading to repentance and salvation.

The second Bible statement is the inspired word of Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:12-13, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but how much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work His good pleasure”.

This focuses on the fact that it is God Christ Himself that inspires and does His good pleasure in and through us, His Church. And Jesus Himself said, “Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me … for apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Hence, the challenge and encouragement is to trust and depend on the person and finished work of Jesus for our salvation and not any other person or entity.

One cannot but be concerned about the state of the Church, especially in our day and generation where one can simply summarize that the Church is an imperfect institution, no matter where it exists and functions around the world. Love of money and power struggle, politicking, immorality of highest order, hypocrisy, backbiting, etc have become the order of the day. Winning souls and mission endeavors have become secondary. Faith and Obedience to Jesus and His Holy Spirit is what saves and not the Church.

The Church ought to return to the rightful priority place of Christ in the ministry of winning the world for Christ and deliver the world from its self centered sinful tendency. It is not enough for the Church to have well organized powerful preaching and other ministries, we must live out the wordings of the message and allow the Holy Spirit its priority role in all our life endeavors. In general, it seems unfortunate that today’s Church is a mixture of generate and ungenerate people that leaves much to be desired!

In conclusion, coming to Jesus by faith is what saves and redeems sinners through His precious blood shed on the Cross. Jesus is the One who saves us and not the Church and He must be the Pointer to His redeeming grace and not the polluted Church. He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith who empowers us to be an effective soul winner to His Church making us brand new regenerate person by the power of His Holy Spirit ( 2 Corinthians 2:17). In case if any reader may have been disappointed by the Church, we ought to keep trusting Jesus.

May God grant us the spirit of discernment so that we don’t feel discouraged when we see the anomaly of today’s Church, but keep trusting Jesus to sustain and uphold us as believers in the Lord Jesus.

We owe it a responsibility to keep praying for the Church to live in a way consistent with the tenets established by Jesus and be doers of the same.

Jesus is the Lord of His Church and no one else.

Perhaps the greatest of Christ’s apostles from time immemorial Apostle Paul also had such a struggle. In Romans Epistle 7:14-15, citing his struggle between two natures inside him, said, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate”.

He then concludes in verses 24-25, “Wreched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of death /struggle? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin”.

So, as the struggle continues we look unto Jesus and depend with trusting faith to deliver us. So it is a process!

The Christian life is a daily walk in progress and not a finality by the grace of God.

Addressing believers in Christ, Apostle Elder John said, “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just /righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” ( I John 1:8-10). We come to Jesus’s embrace through genuine personal confession of our sin to receive His forgiveness for which Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary.

However, there is some school of thought in theological circle that falsely teaches that once you trust Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you no longer sin and nothing to confess! Being true to God, we all know such a teaching is not being realistic of our human nature that still remains! So, instead of denying our struggles, we run daily to Jesus confessing our limitations and asking forgiveness and assistance to help us as we journey toward perfection of being like Jesus at the end of age. That’s humility where peace, joy and total surrender lie!

Should any reader of this today’s write up have a problem with understanding, I pray and encourage us to seek further explanation and clarity in humble prayer from the Lord Jesus.

And may we all keep growing in grace, truth and maturity towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray us a beautiful day and week ahead.

The Holy Spirit is a prized special possession of everyone of us who are in Christ Jesus. He is inside everyone of us deposited when we opened our hearts to Jesus asking Him to be our Savior and Lord because He (Jesus) died for our sin.

The Holy Spirit is the marked presence of God Christ in our life as the Comfoter, the Spirit of truth, our Teacher, Helper, Enabler, Guide and Advocate in times of prayer when we are may be short of words before the holy God.

The final statement made by Jesus in Matthew 28:20 is that He will be with us always until the end of the age. In Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit is what Jesus referenced when He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea … to the remotest part of the world”. The Holy Spirit became manifested in the Day of Pentecost and becomes the inner possession of everyone who repents of their sin and invites Jesus into their life (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit established the historical beginning of the Church of Christ on that Pentecost day.

The Holy Spirit is the power of God that makes us the children of God when we believe in Jesus Christ (John 1:12).

The Holy Spirit is the power in us by which we live to please God, leaving the control of the flesh and of the Devil. Apostle Paul admonishes us in Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another …”.

The fruit/evidence of the Spirit manifesting through our life “is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (5:22-23). That should be our daily life style governed in truth and righteousness pleasing to God which is different from non-believers in Christ who live to please the flesh in sin and wickedness.

The Holy Spirit helps us to walk in the light and no longer in darkness like Jesus Himself being the Light of the world (John 1:4-5; Matthew 5:14-16). And that’s what we need to be authentic disciples of Jesus in the world.

As we begin a new week forward, we are all encouraged to intentionally allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide and enabler in all our understandings whether private or public and our relationships. Let us trust the word of Apostle Paul as inspired by the Holy Spirit that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said to all those who have made a decision to follow Him and be His disciples,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden … Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”.

That is, we longer belong to the world of darkness symbolized by a lifestyle of sin, evil and wickedness belonging to Satan. We have been redeemed from such a way of life by the previous cleansing blood of Jesus on the Cross that atoned for such a life. We are now living for Jesus by the power of His word and the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said of those who belong to Him, making a distinction thus,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (7:21).

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the word of God says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, the new things have come”. Having a new identity, we are ambassadors and Jesus’s representatives in the world.

All these bible references are indicators that a believer in Christ has a particular way of living that portrays his /her identity and allegiance as a disciple and witness for Him wherever we are.

And positioning ourselves in such a way that reflects we now belong to Jesus encourages us to share the love of Christ with those who are yet to decide to likewise also take a step of faith in Him. We are Jesus’s influencers in the midst of humanity. Another way being a witness for Christ is to put on the new self like a garment according to the book of Colossians thus: “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on the earth… Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks through Him to the God the Father” (Colossians 3:1-2, 17).

The question comes to you and I, Are we consciously living for Jesus showing that we belong to Him? Not just by name, but by your daily talk or action wherever we are? There are many people around us who may be perishing and dying in sin that God wants us to rescue from the power of sin over their life. Simple message of God’s love and care for them can draft them to the kingdom of Christ. May God give us the courage and wisdom and opportunity to share Jesus with someone today and daily as we consciously and intentionally position ourselves as a witness for Jesus. Sharing Jesus with someone is probably the greatest thing you and I can do today and daily. Ours is to share; it is the Holy Spirit who does the conviction in human heart as per John 16:8.

Please, take a moment to pray as a believer in Christ that today and always you live being conscious that you are a witness for Jesus and the grace to let others know of His love through you with the help of the Holy Spirit.

In Psalm 133:1, the word of God says, “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity”. With Jesus being the Author of His Church (Matthew 16:13-18), the inspired writer of the book of Hebrews expressly enjoys believers in Christ not to forsake the assembly of one another.

At Hebrews 10:23-25,

“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as it is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as we see the day drawing near”.

The early Church in the Book of Acts of the Apostles describes the formation and gradual radical growth of Jesus’s Church guided and enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit increasing day by day. Evidently, the Church continues to grow and increase in all kinds of shapes and sizes in nations, languages, cultures and geography around the world.

The definition of the Church is not a building, but the assembly of baptized believers in Jesus Christ coming together to do the multifaceted work of the ministry where iron sharpens iron and thereby growing together and maturing together. While no local Church is perfect because of our human limitations, there are tremendous benefits of people of like mindedness in Christ assembling together on regular basis as stated in the quoted Scripture above. With the Holy Spirit in our individual hearts, we join and meet together for worship, Bible and Prayer Fellowship, engage in Evangelism and Mission of planting and establishing other Churches locally, regionally and internationally changing lives and winning souls for Christ’s kingdom as enjoined in the Golden Commission at Matthew 28:19-20 by Jesus Christ before departing this world to heaven. The power and impact of the Church in any community and around the world is very significantly consequential for humanity in terms of cleansing our hearts polluted by sin by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, making souls ready for Holy Spirit abode, and changing lives and turning our lives toward God. The Church also effects personal and societal morality in truth and righteousness, peace in human heart and society getting along, unity of purpose, development and hope for tomorrow and eternity. The power and influence of the Church is very immense beyond measure! Perhaps, there is no greater force changing human hearts toward God and world order than the Church that Jesus Himself established over two thousand centuries ago.

In conclusion, we must ask ourselves about our role and attitude toward the Church: Are you you a believer in Jesus Christ? Do you belong to a local Church? Are you active or passive? Is the Holy Spirit of God working actively in you? Do you consider yourself being important to growth and mission of Jesus’s Church as gifted by the Holy Spirit? I pray you answer Yes to all the questions. If not, I pray you strongly determine to join one as guided by the Holy Spirit. Sharing our life together in the Church as people of faith is a good preparation for heaven where we’ll worship God Christ perpetually and endlessly.

In John 15:5-7, Jesus Himself said and admonishes us with the analogy, “I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing… If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”.

The reality of our spiritual life with growth and maturity thereby is our dependence on the Lord Jesus who has given us His Holy Spirit to be our helper. In addition, we all face challenges and battles of life daily for which we need power that is greater than us to confront and overcome. Self effort cannot win such difficulties, challenges and battles for us. Even in the exercising of the Prayer power, reality dictates that we need help as per Romans 8:26-27 thus, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”.

We thank God that as He so much loves us that He gave us His Son Jesus Christ to save and redeem us back to Himself from the power and destructive nature of sin and all powers and principalities, He also made provision for us through the power of prayer in times of need which we have every day.

So as we face the challenges of this day and week ahead, which will definitely come in various sizes, we are encouraged to humble ourselves to admit that we need God’s help and tap into the free help of prayer resource to assist us to face and overcome. While we are limited in our own strength and abilities, praise God that we all have available to us the unlimited power of the Lord Jesus as we commit challenging issues of our life and trust Him to see us through. With God all things are possible by the power of Holy Spirit. God is always available to us anytime and anywhere and all small or great circumstances.

The word of God is authentic truth revealed to humanity to live in righteousness, holiness, purity, purpose, wisdom and meaningful fulfilling engagement in one’s personal life and interpersonal interactions /relationships with other fellow human beings rooted in God Christ.

The written word of God was Holy Spirit inspired by people of old profitable and intended for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Realistically, we all need such a disciplined and structured life.

The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and pearcing as far as division of soul and spirit, of both sword and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the hearts (4:12). We live in a world where truth and falsehood coexist and must have a means and standard to distinguish the difference. We need that discretionary yardstick!

Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ who came to represent the person of God to humanity said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:31-32). We all need true freedom from the power of sin, evil and death and demons for which Christ came to save, deliver and redeem settling us free.

It is very important that we keep reading, meditating and knowing the word of God daily so we grow in maturity with the ability to know the will and wisdom of God for us in every situation we may find ourselves. The Bible, the word of God is the best book for our spiritual survival.

There is a hymnal’s wording that is so rich and empowering about the word of God thus,

“Holy Bible, Book of love, Tell me of our God above.

He who made me loves me still, helps me know and do His will”. Knowing and doing the express will of God helps us to increasingly become like Jesus. The Holy Spirit of God is always there in us not only to understand the truth and intended meaning and purpose of the word, but also in the proper application for effective daily living.

Apart from the word of God and His loving presence with us, we are selfish and don’t know how can rightly love ourselves and others and even God our Maker and Teacher of agape love. But the more we endeavor to love God through the knowledge and understanding and application of His word enabled by the Holy Spirit, the more we are able to live out the person Jesus and be His living presence. In Philippians 2:1- , we are expressly encouraged, “Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of same mind, maintaining same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose”. The best way we can can accomplish such a holy requirement and standard is through the knowledge and application of God’s word.

The Bible helps us to know the fathom of God’s powerful embracing love, forgiveness of sin, salvation and redemption, inner strength and purity that leads to eternity relieving us of the fear of death, fear, worry and ignorance. Such enriching life of peace, joy and hope and eternity is what the Bible offers us and why we need to keep reading and meditating on it daily for our wellbeing.

May God Himself help us in this very important indispensable element of spiritual growth representing Him well in our world. It doesn’t take much as long as we start each day with intentionality of meditating on God’s word, allowing Him to speak His word, will and purpose to us.