Godliness is Profitable in All Things

By Bro. ‘Yemi Oyedeji 

In today’s society, so many people seem to go through life searching for the magic answer that will bring them happiness and fulfillment. 

They may turn to money, relationships, prestige, drugs, possessions, or achievements to fill that void. 

However, none of those can bring genuine satisfaction; only Jesus is our true satisfying portion! As David declared, “LORD, You alone are my portion and my cup” (Psalm 16:5).  

The apostle Paul highlighted this truth in the fourth chapter of Philippians. As he reflected on his wide scope of experiences, he wrote, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. 

Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need"  Philippians 4:12. Yet, through it all, he testified, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (v. 11). 

Paul had discovered the key that his contentment rested not on the circumstances that surrounded him, but on his security in Christ.  

Learn to enjoy what God has given more than you grieve what He is yet to give. Let us practice the art of Godly contentment and we will find that it is great gain indeed. 

May godliness be our watchword and lifestyle, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain on Your Mark, Never Giving Up

SouledOut Teenagers' Week 2023

By Bro. Jeremiah Johnson

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” -Dale Carnegie 

Perseverance is the ability to pursue a goal or passion despite any obstacles or set-backs that we may encounter.

 It is the ability to self-regulate and practice self-control under dire situations by prioritizing sustainable future rewards over short-term pleasures in the present. 

It is vital that we persevere in achieving our goals because it allows us to overcome obstacles, learn from our mistakes, build our character, and set examples for others. 

James 1:2-4. Paul first regarded Mark as unreliable, as we would any young teenager but later said: “Young Mark is useful to the Kingdom of God,” and “ profitable”  for Paul’s ministry.” 2 Tim 4:11. 

In Acts 15:36-40, we see a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over whether to take Mark on a missionary journey due to his previous departure from them. 

However, Mark later proved himself and became a valuable companion to Paul. Mark’s life reminds us to remain steadfast and resilient in our faith, even when facing adversity. 

Gal 6:9 encourages us to persevere in doing good deeds and maintaining faith even when faced with challenges. Just as athletes on the tracks for a race, we must maintain a posture of being ready to move and never give up. 

We must remain on our marks! We do not go through hard times for no reason, so we must per-severe because it will bring us all-around growth and stronger faith (Rom 5:3-4). Our God is a Faithful God. 

He promises to never leave nor forsake us. It doesn’t matter how hard, how many times, or how hard we’ve attempted something, we must dust ourselves and try again and again. Remain committed to the task and learn from your mistakes. 

May perseverance finish its work in us so that we may all be mature and complete, not lacking anything, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

You, Mark, Paul and I – it’s All by Grace

From Our Pastor’s Desk

The mercy and grace of God helps us to serve Him effectively and powerfully. We are unworthy in our own strength and abilities. 

But when we receive the grace of God we are enabled to serve Him. 

The Apostle Paul felt he was not even worthy to be called an Apostle because he persecuted the church of God. 

But the Grace of God transformed him and enabled him to labour more than anybody else. 

We need to receive the grace of God to overcome our weaknesses and limitations and serve God effectively.

 The Lord wants us to come boldly before the throne of Grace to receive grace and mercy to help in time of need. In his dying days Paul still said – Philippians 3:7-10 – “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” 

May we all grow more in His grace, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  Remain blessed.   

Shalom.

John Mark, the Late Bloomer

From Our Pastor's Desk

Acts 15:36-41 - After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” 

37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
40 Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care.
41 Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. 

When did this happen? When did Mark abandon them? For that answer we go back to Acts 13:13, “Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphyl-ia. And John (Mark) left them and returned to Jerusalem.” 

Why Mark left, we were not told. Over ten years after Paul and Barnabas had a fight over Mark, Paul writes to his own disciple Timothy: “Only Luke is here with me. Get Mark, and bring him with you because he is profitable to me in my ministry.” - 2nd Timothy 4:11 

Though it took Mark some time to get to being profitable to Paul in ministry, but he got there, blooming later in life. Some of us are like him, and we should not give up. 

The Lord give us the tenacity to rise up after we may have fallen, in Jesus Name.  You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom.

August 2023 - Month of John Mark

From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this our new Month of John Mark, in Jesus name.  

John Mark, the writer of the famous Book/Gospel of Mark, was a drop-out, he ran away from a mission journey with Paul. 

Believe it or not, he fell when he was a young youth. He was Barnabas’ cousin, so, he caused a split between Paul and Barnabas when there was another opportunity for a missionary journey – Acts 15:36-40. 

Paul didn’t want Mark because of previous experiences, but Barnabas, always the encourager of others, persuaded Paul to allow the young man to come with them in order to toughen his faith and to give him experience in planting churches.  

Over ten years after Paul and Barnabas had a fight over Mark, Paul writes to his own disciple Timothy: “Only Luke is here with me. Get Mark, and bring him with you because he is profitable to me in my ministry.” – 2nd Timothy 4:11 

Mercy Seatizens, welcome to August, “Our Month of John Mark”. As we celebrate our  SouledOut Teenagers, the lesson from young Mark is that we should not give up on the youth as they navigate the terrain of life. 

Paul first counted him unreliable, as we would any young teenager, but later said "young Mark is useful to the Kingdom of God", profitable for Paul in ministry 

The Lord will make all our Teenagers to be profitable for God’s Kingdom, in Jesus Name. 

Amen.

Wait: Samuel is Coming

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Things may seem to be a total chaotic state in your life, you may be troubled on every side, but know this – your “Samuel” (agent of change) is Coming because troubles don’t always last. 

Psalms 126:1-2 – “When the LORD turned again the  captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then  was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them” 

The song-writer & singer Ron Kenoly turned Psalms 30:11 into a beautiful song—”Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing…” 

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, until it seems as though you cannot hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. 

The tide turned for Joseph, turned for Hannah, turned for Job, turned for you, yes “you!!!”, in the past, turned for countless others. 

This tide will turn too. Know that just as there are forces fighting against you. Yes that’s true. But there are more forces fighting in your favor. Jesus said in Luke 10:18 that He “saw satan fall like lightning from heaven”. 

And satan took a third of the angels with him. But do you realize that left two-thirds of the angels in our favor? They’re outnumbered. 

Satan is already defeated. The war has already been won. We may have to fight some few life battles. But don’t you ever give up. 

Don’t you ever lose hope. Don’t lose your joy. Be of good cheer. God’s power is greater in us than he that’s in the world. He will turn this tide for our favor, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

Dwelling in Your Wealthy Place

By Sis. Oby Linda Eziokwu

Simply put, wealth is an abundance of valuable possessions or money. I believe we all want abundance of valuable possessions and money and it is not wrong for Christians to desire wealth, the good news is that God also wants us to have wealth.

3 John 1:2 -“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 

However, as Christians, we should be careful not to run after money or material possessions as the world does or be envious of them. 

In Luke 12:15 Jesus warned; “Take heed and beware of covetousness for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 

This is because money never satisfies - Ecclesiastes 5:10; “he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity”.  

There are two (2) biblical principle that will help us dwell in our wealthy place: 

1. PATIENCE: because of lack of patience, many people including Christians have lost money to many get rich quick scams and Ponzi schemes or on the flip side defrauded people. 

Psalm 37:7 cautions us - “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” 

2. CONTENTMENT: this proves we are people of faith for  “godliness with contentment is great gain” - 1Tim 6:6, for a little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked - Psalm 37:16.

Being patient and content does not mean we should become lazy, but rather we should praise God in whatever state we are in while we strive for greater heights according to our abilities and in the fear of the Lord.  

May the Lord take us all to our dwelling of wealth, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

Small But Mighty

By Sis. Temilola Agboola 

Isaiah 60:22 - A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time 

The Power of Small: God Empowers the Young to Achieve the Incredible 

As Inside Out children celebrate another Children’s week, there’s a lot we can learn from our theme this year "Small but Mighty." 

Stories such as that of Josiah, who became a king at just eight years old, and David, a young shepherd who conquered the giant Goliath, show how our size or age doesn't define our ability or strength. 

These stories, found in 2 Kings 22:1 and 1 Samuel 17:45, demonstrate that with faith and trust in God, we can accomplish great things, no matter how young or small we may be. 

We also have the miraculous story from John 6:9, where a boy's small lunch of five loaves and two fish was used by Jesus to feed over five thousand people. 

We learn that when we give what we have to God, even if it seems tiny, He can use it to do amazing things. Our offerings, no matter how small, can have a massive impact. 

The story of Daniel in Daniel 6:23 also shows how our faith in God can provide us protection. Even when thrown in to a den of lions, Daniel's trust in God kept him safe. 

To sum it all up, these stories from the Bible teach us that regardless of our age or size, with faith and trust in God, we can all be "Small but Mighty." 

May the Lord glorify all our Children, and they shall not remain small, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

Set Apart for the Master's Use

By Min. Daniel Sangoleye  

In a world filled with distractions and competing priorities, the concept of being set apart for our Master's use holds great significance for believers. 

Throughout the pages of the scriptures, we are provided with timeless lessons and powerful examples of individuals who embraced their divine calling and surrendered themselves to God's purposes.  

From the Old Testament, the story of Joseph in Genesis serves as a remarkable testament to God's faithfulness and the transformative power of being set apart.  

The life of Daniel in the book of Daniel exemplifies the importance of being set apart for God's purposes, even in the face of opposition. When confronted with pressure to compromise his faith, Daniel resolved not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8). 

Josiah, a remarkable young king is also another great example of surrendering to God's will, seeking after holiness, and bearing fruit for God's Kingdom. From a young age, Josiah exhibited a heart that was tender toward God. 

At the age of 8, he became king & inherited a nation deeply entrenched in idolatry and sin. However, instead of succumbing to the prevailing culture, Josiah chose a different path. He resolved to seek God, obey His commands, and restore true worship in Judah. 

Also from the New Testament, Apostle Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a passionate follower of Christ is a powerful testament to the grace of God. 

In Acts 9:15-16, we see how God chose Paul and appointed him to be a vessel for proclaiming the Gospel. Paul's life demonstrates that being set apart begins with surrendering ourselves to God's calling, even if it involves suffering. 

His tireless ministry and unwavering commitment to Christ inspire us to embrace our own calling and be set apart for God's use. As we examine these lessons from Scripture, we are reminded of the profound calling we have as believers to be set apart for our Master's use.  

May we draw inspiration from these biblical examples and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into vessels of honor, reflecting God's glory in all we do, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

God's "Great" in Small Package

 From Our Pastor's Desk

2nd Kings 22:1-2 - “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign…Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” 

Josiah, according to the scripture above, is proof that we can remain faithful to God throughout our lives, and it does not matter what is going on around us. 

It would be easy to think Josiah's faithfulness was because he saw it in his father, Amon. 

Unfortunately, his father wasn't faithful to God, and neither was his grandfather. Yet these things did not deter Josiah. He looked to and followed someone else’s footsteps – David. 

When we read about the lives of Christians who lived for the Lord, like David, Joseph, Timothy, Daniel et al, a common theme emerges. 

They loved the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind. Young, but Great man of God Josiah was one such person. 

His life was one of complete dedication to the Lord. 

 He was comfortable standing out from the crowd 

 He humbled himself before the Lord and confessed his sins 

 He put his words into action and removed evil from his sight 

In our daily lives, let’s emulate this man of God. He may have been 8-years of age, but he is a worthy example of greatness to be emulated. It is my prayer that we be the right godly examples unto our generation and those that follow us, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  Remain blessed.   Shalom.

July 2023 - Month of Josiah

From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this our new Month of Josiah, in Jesus name.  

2nd Kings 22:1-2 -“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign…Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” 

David was not Josiah’s direct father. During the reign of both his father (Amon) and grandfather (Manasseh), the people of the land were moving away from God. 

Idol worship was commonplace and the Lord’s anger burned against the people. In those days, people sacrificed their own children in the fire to Molech. 

Manasseh sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spirits. 

But although Josiah became a king at the tender age of 8-years-old, the Bible records him as following the Lord wholeheartedly, as did David. 

Young king Josiah’s life teaches our children and us many lessons. We do not need to imitate evil, whether from our parents, the pressures to follow the crowd, in school, at work, or everywhere. 

Mercy seatizens, welcome to the month of July 2023, “Our Month of Josiah” – 2nd Kings 22:1-20. 

In this month that we celebrate our InsideOut Children, the Lord will give them, and all of us, the courage, faith and wisdom to stand out, like young child-king Josiah, and say “no” to everyone or everything that is evil and ungodly, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Winning with Honor and Respect

By Deaconess Rebecca Orimoloye

Our God is a God of honor and respect. The book of Exodus 20 is filled with the things we need to do to honor God, ourselves, neighbors, parents, etc.

Likewise, we, the work of His hands also thrives in honor and respect. No one in their right minds will say they do not like being honored or respected.

 It is easy for us to remember or even keep a grudge against those who dishonor or disrespect us. Why? We are wired as a people of honor.

But do we know that we can win battles by fighting with honor and respect? We can in fact avert major disasters and generational issues by choosing honor and respect.

In the book of 1 Sam 25, we were taken into the household of Abigail and Nabal. Nabal’s lineage was literally about to obliterated, had it not been for the quick thinking and honorific actions of Abigail in pacifying David and his men.

Similarly, in the book of Esther, Esther used honor and respect to destroy the plans of Hamman. When we pay attention to Esther 3, from verse 7, we begin to see the extent of Hamman’s planned atrocities in order to appreciate what Esther actually did.

Hamman spent a good 12 months (1 year) preparing for the destruction of not only Mordecai, but the entire Jewish lineage. He was casting spells to see the best day he would be most favored in order to go into the presence of the king and ask him to destroy the Jews. It took him a year to cast the spells.

We should note that Esther’s honor and respect for the king didn’t start when the Jews were in trouble. Else, an “out of the blues” action would have been too late. She must have had a track record. Honor and respect can provoke favor, as we see in Esther’s story.

We see that honor and respect goes beyond what is on the surface. Honor and respect can actually be used to provoke help, open doors, blessing, favor, win wars, fight battles and save generations, etc. The list and possibilities are endless.

It is my prayer that we begin to use honor and respect in order to win in Jesus name.

Mighty Men of War - Lessons for Fatherhood

By Bro. Leke Alomaja

 Exodus 15:1-3 – “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 

The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a Man of war: the LORD is His name” 

This passage not only teaches us about God's power but also provides insights into the qualities of a strong and loving father: 

• The Strength of a Father's Love 
• Celebrating Fatherhood 
• The Role of a Protector 
• Obedience and Fatherly Guidance 

Defining what I think a good father needs to be in 2023 based on an acronym for Father. 

 F - Faithful 

 A - Available 

 T - Teacher 

 H - Helper 

 E - Encouraging 

 R – Reliable  

Today, we celebrate all our Faithful, Available, Teaching, Helping, encouraging & Reliable Fathers. More grace to you all, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom

It's Time to Move on & Rebuild

From Our Pastor's Desk

Isaiah 61:4 - And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 

There will always be broken down walls that need to be rebuilt, old waste places that need reconstruction, need repair and restoration. 

If we look around us we can see broken “walls” – lives, relationships (parents-children, siblings, loved ones, friends), marriages etc. 

Many are broken because they have been hurt by those from who they are supposed to receive love from. 

Hurt by parents, friends, and spouses who deserted them. Some are broken because of past failures. Broken because they failed to live up to the expectations of others. 

Acts 15:16-17 – “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 

These and many more are walls that need to be rebuilt. God wants us to pick up the broken pieces, move on and rebuild. 

According to the scriptures above, Isaiah 61:4, even yet many coming generations depend on this rebuild.  We need to rise up from the doldrums of defeat, stagnancy, inaction, pity, “woe-betide-me” syndrome, dormancy and deep-freeze…..and MOVE ON & REBUILD. 

Micah 7:11 - In the day that thy walls are to be built, I pray that the Lord grant us courage from on high to arise from our fallen state and move on and rebuild and shine, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

June 2023 - Month of Ehud

From Our Pastor's Desk 

Welcome to this our new Month of Ehud, in Jesus name. Judges 3: 15 – “But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab”

Above is an excerpt from the story of Ehud, a man used as deliverer for the Israelites from the hand of evil and oppressive king Eglon of the Moabites, who were idol worshippers and did evil in the sight of the Lord.

The story of Ehud is a story of victory, conquest and overcoming. That’s what we have, through Christ Jesus. We need Christ for the spiritual battle & warfare of life, against satan, our adversary, the enemy of our souls.

God delivered Israel from the hands of Eglon, by sending the left-handed Ehud and his cubit-long sword to assassinate Eglon and liberate God’s people from his evil rule. 1st John 5:4-5 – “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”

Mercy Seatizens, welcome to June 2023, “Our Month of Ehud”. This month & beyond, because we are born of God, we are overcomers. By faith we declare our victory over the world, over every evil oppression, and over every situation that has weighed us down, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Hard Facts About Battles

From Our Pastor's Desk

Psalms 144:1 – “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight” 

You must have heard people say “everyone has their demon to fight”, which, in essence, is the same as “every man must fight his own battles”. 

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis. 

In warfare, battles are fought on different fronts, for different reasons, and with varying degrees of intensity. 

The same is true in spiritual warfare. The day you surrender your life to Christ is the day you are drafted as a soldier in the ongoing war between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. 

A battle that satan fights against us because of the position/level God has placed us, because he has lost his position, because satan is envious of the love God has for us. 

Psalms 8:4 says “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

Our spiritual battles and warfare are real, even though we cannot physically see the attacker. But, we can educate ourselves on how the battles are fought and how they impact our lives on a daily basis. 

What you must not do is take a back-seat, spectator stance in this battle of life. It will be very unfortunate and tragic if you opt to take the stance of a civilian while battles are constantly raging around you.

Today we share just 4 hard facts, out of countless others, that we need to know about battles & spiritual warfare.

I pray that the Lord grant you courage from on high to confront every challenge on your path, in Jesus Name.

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed. 

Shalom.

I.C.O.E...Break Glass - Part II

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Numbers 13:33 - “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” 

One of the most powerful weapons of the enemy. Gut-level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy, and low self-worth. Mediocrity, failure, weakness, inability etc. 

In spite of wonderful experiences, in spite of our faith and knowledge of God’s word. 

It’s a limitation through one’s mindset, thinking you amount to nothing, you can’t do it. 

Because of your skin color, your accent, language, your age, economic background, gender etc. That’s a mindset of limitation, mediocrity, inferiority complex, low self-esteem…

The children of Israel suffered from it during the time of Moses, according to the above scripture. 

Our unlimited God will break us out of every mindset of limitation, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

I.C.O.E...Break Glass - Part 1

From Our Pastor's Desk

Jeremiah 4:3 – “For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground…” 

This scripture talks about breaking new grounds, stretching, spreading, reaching…”

In case of emergency, break glass” is similar. A break glass situation is a reach to gain access to something/somewhere that is not accessible under normal circumstances. 

The reason we need to break glass is to bypass the limitations put in place that are there to prevent us from reaching our highest potentials, per time. 

The message of today is about overcoming those limitations. Limitations are boundaries – space, restrictions, things you don’t have access to. 

Final point. Limitation is basically as far as something can go. 

It’s a peg, hindrance or barrier that defines restriction. A limitation is that thing that does not allow us to maximize our potentials. Knowing that we serve an unlimited, inexhaustible, and infinitely resourceful God, He commanded us to “break up our fallow grounds”. 

Therefore, knowing you’re not limited, any glass ceiling of limitation needs be broken. In fact, don’t break it… shatter it , in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  Shalom.

The Fear of the Lord

 By Sis. Grace Olujobi 

To fear God means to stand in awe of Him (Ps 33:8), to have reverence for God, to live with the sole purpose of glorifying God, to trust Him completely without any reservations (Ps 40:3). 

King Solomon, the wisest of all men said in Proverbs 9:10 that the fear  of God is the BEGINNING of wisdom, Brethren for something to be the beginning means it is just the first step. 

For example, when you want to use a ladder to reach a top shelf, a tree, etc, probably the ladder has anywhere between 7 to 12 steps or even more, the fear of the Lord is the very first step on the ladder! 

In other words, our Christian journey has not begun if we do not live in awe of God, if we do not have reference for God, if we do not trust Him completely, if we are not living our lives with the sole purpose of bringing glory to God! 

May the Lord give us the grace for distinction, in Jesus Name. You will have good success this 2023. Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

Living a Distinguished Life

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Daniel 6:3 - “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”  

The grand theme of the Bible is that God’s people be different, peculiar. 

We are not to go with the flow. As a matter of fact, God has commanded that we be different, or separate. 

Only those who dare to be different for the Lord’s sake are kept safe. 

Don’t assume that something must be okay just because everyone around you is doing it. If it negates God’s word and “everyone is doing it,” dare to be different.  

Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. 

And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for com-plaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 

May the Lord give us the grace for distinction, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

May 2023 - Month of Shiphrah & Puah

From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this our new Month of Shiphrah & Puah, in Jesus name.  One day, Pharaoh ordered two Hebrew midwives to kill any and all the baby boys they delivered.   

Exodus 1: 15-17 – “And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive”  

The two God-fearing midwives heard him, but did not do as he has commanded. They not only defied him, but also got away with it! 

They were not like other midwives.  Brethren, you don’t have to go with the flow. You don’t have to do like others do. You can be different. 

Because others are doing something that you know to be wrong, ungodly and sinful. Be God-fearing and brave.  

Mercy Seatizens, welcome to the Month of May 2023, “Our Month of Shiphrah and Puah”. 

This month & beyond, may the Lord set us apart from the rest, distinguish us, differentiate us and single us out for His glory, in Jesus Name. 

Amen.

Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go

By Min. Tosin Agboola

We appreciate love and loyalty the most in our days of darkness and at times when we feel all is lost and we are alone. In those moments, to hear the reassuring words - ‘I will never leave you, I will never forsake you’, gives the encouragement needed to keep pushing on. 

In our life’s journey, there may or may not be a Ruth to our Naomi-like situations or an Ittai to our David-like problems. 

Eventually, at some point and by the natural course of events, even the most loyal will not be by our side. But how wonderful to know that no matter what, we have Jesus. 

His is the love that will never let us go, the light that follows all our ways, the joy that seeks us through pain & the cross that lifts up our head. 

And through his ever present example, he has given us the blueprint for love and loyalty. And He desires that we do same for others. “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

 Luke 22:32 Go forth therefore and be unto others as Ittai, as Ruth, but even much more, as Jesus, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

See Rome and Live

From Our Pastor's Desk

The problem today is that we easily give up on our dreams & desires, most times at the point of breakthrough, without realizing that the darkest hour is closest to dawn. 

Whenever people get close to their breakthroughs, the devil forces them to become discouraged, makes them grumble, complain, murmur against God, and as a result he returns them back to square-1 from the fringes of victory.

 Psalm 37:4 admonishes us to “Delight thy-self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart”  

ACTS 19:21 – “After these things were end-ed, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome”

Visiting Rome was Paul’s highest ministry ambition. A notable servant of the Most High, A miracle worker. Raised the dead. 

He had preached the gospel in different places, in major cities of the then world like – Athens, Philippi, Collosse, Ephesus, Antioch, etc. He TURNED the world upside down with the gospel He made converts all over, tens of thousands.  

Despite all his achievements and credentials, he still had a burning desire, so much he blurted it out ----- “I MUST SEE ROME. My joy will overflow if/when I see Rome”  What is your Rome that you must see? 

You will overcome satanic obstacles. Satan will not have influence over you and you will not give up at the verge of your breakthrough, in Jesus Name. 

Go change your world. You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

God's Perfect Lamb

By Minister Rowan Samuel

The Blood that Jesus shed for us way back on Calvary, the Blood that gives us strength from day to day, it will never lose its power. 

Whether on the hilltop or in the valley it will never lose its power. 

Satan is such a devil, he just couldn't help himself for had he known he never would have crucified the Lord of Glory. 

His pride got the best of him, which led to his downfall and his demise. Psalms 29:1; 1st Corinthians 8. 

Come to Jesus, God's perfect Lamb, who died for you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  

Resist the devil and he will flee. Stay away from vain repetition. Pray from the heart sometimes short prayers.  

Stones sometimes get in the way between us, Jesus said of Lazarus to lose him and let go, hypocrisy is a stone people used to not come to Jesus, so don't let it keep you out of Heaven. 

Come to Him now. The Lord perfect all that concerns us, in Jesus Name. Go change your world. You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom.

Hey Stranger, You are Just a Guest

 From Our Pastor’s Desk

1st Peter 2: 11-12 - “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation”. 

Brethren, this world is not our home 1st Peter 2:11 - Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrim s, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; We are strangers, pilgrims, aliens in this world. 

One day, we’re going back home.  How would you want to be remembered? Compared to eternity, life on this earth is very brief and short. Yet, we have this brief time to determine where each will spend eternity.

 The life that we are living is not the ultimate.  Life on this earth is too short to let simple things ruin it and ruin the Ultimate for you. 

When someone talks behind your back, you let that single thought destroy the rest of your moments. When someone makes fun of you, you start thinking ways to teach him a lesson. 

We struggle for fame, for positions, status, recognition, etc.  God forbid, but have you ever asked yourself, what will happen if I die today? 

Where will you spend eternity? What happens to your wealth, houses, fame, status, and your soul? The Psalmist considered this too, and said in  Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom"  

May the Lord grant us wisdom in preparing for eternity than this very brief life on earth, in Jesus Name You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

The City, the King & the Mighty Men

From Our Pastor’s Desk

Joshua 6:1-2 – “Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.” 

This is the story of the children of Israel after crossing over Jordan. 

Jericho was the first city they had to overtake, capture and spoil, which meant they needed to overtake this in order to overtake the others.  

Jericho was like the gateway to their other promised lands. So God told Joshua and Israel that He had given them the city of Jericho, the king and the mighty men of valor. 

There is a significance for the city, the kings and the mighty men. And these are what we refer to as the scopes of victory for the Israelites and for us.  

The city is just the territory, but you can’t have a territory and be satisfied with-out having those that control the territory.  

The kings, these are the rulers of that territory, sometimes they either have to be removed for your sake or come on your side. 

That is why God said in Proverbs 21:1 that “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will”. 

If He has promised you the city and kings then one way or the other you are going to have the kings under your authority.  The mighty men assist the kings. 

They are the ones acting under the authority of the kings. You’d also need them taken out or their hearts turned to your favor.  

This month and beyond, you will enter your Jericho, your promised land. You will take the city, the king and the mighty men, in Jesus Name 

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

April 2023 - Month of ITTAI

 From Our Pastor’s Desk

 Welcome to this our new Month of ITTAI, in Jesus name.  

One of David’s closest confidants and allies was a giant Philistine from Gath. 

In fact, during the battle with Absalom, Ittai will hold a command equal to Joab and Abishai, David’s cousins. Philistine like Goliath, and also from Gath, the city where Goliath came from. 

The unsung hero of this month was a native of Gath, a Gittite like Goliath. A giant like Goliath.  Because of that, one would expect him to be a staunch enemy of David, for David killed his kinsman. 

But no, this hero, a stranger, became one of the most faithful friends of David, becoming one of his chief captains during the rebellion of Absalom. And he was exiled and sent away from Gath.  

When David wanted to send this giant away, because he was a stranger, the giant answered the king in 2nd Samuel 15:22, “as the Lord lives, wherever you go, that’s where I go. 

Whether in death or life, there will your servant be”  Mercy Seatizens, welcome to April 2023, “Our Month of Ittai.” 

His was a story of the loyalty, faithfulness and help one can receive of a stranger & exile.   May strangers stand and feed our flocks, and the sons of the alien and foreigner shall be our plowmen and our vinedressers. 

May men bring unto us the forces and spoils of the Gentiles, this month and beyond, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Strengthen Thy Brethren

 From Our Pastor Mrs' Desk

We are set up in His power, might and strength to be a blessing to others, to strengthen our brethren.

Strengthen them, build them up, speak for them, empower them, intercede for them, for the service of the Lord, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, and make straight paths for their feet. 

Hebrews 12:12 “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” 

We are to help, pray, support others, and to empower others. 

What does Intercessory involve?- 

 Faith with works.

  By living a pure, godly life, you can lift up the fallen.  

 Render a helping hand, give money, food, your talent, time, treasure. 

 Speak a kindly word. 1 Samuel 16:17, Matthew 19:14 

 Pray for others. Matthew 19:14 & 15 

 Cover other’s nakedness. Gen. 9:23 

 Be friendly!  Do good unto others. Show people ways, release information that will benefit others. 

 Look for what is good and pure and true; talk about things that are lovely and of good report (Phil. 4:9).  

 Praise someone.  

 Rejoice and express your pride in someone's success. Let them know how proud you are of them.  Celebrate somebody else’s success. 

 Seek to bring a smile to a sad face. Esther brought smile to the faces of the whole nation. 

If you do these things, you will "strengthen/empower thy brethren," but do you know who will be strengthened and built up more than anyone else? You! 

The Lord strengthen you to strengthen others, in Jesus Name You will have good success this 2023.  Remain blessed.  

Intercession - A Call to Prayer

 By Deaconess Florence Oyedeji

In Christendom, there are divers types of prayers. Prayers of praise, confession, spiritual warfare, petition and thanksgiving are just a few examples. 

However, intercession or intercessory prayer, I personally feel is the greatest of all types of prayers, because of it’s selfless nature. 

Intercessory prayer is very simple. It’s someone asking God to do something in a person’s life, in the church, or in a certain situation of life. It is coming to God on behalf of someone else. 

It is, as stated earlier, the most selfless, giving sort of prayer. It is ultimately one of the greatest acts of love. 

The importance of intercessory prayer can best be understood as the only ministry we can do today that is the current ministry of Jesus. 

“…"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us"  (Romans 8:34).  

As End time Army of the Most High, prayer of Intercession is one of our most valuable weapon of war.  The Lord enlist us in His end-time Army, in Jesus Name You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom.

The Art of War - Part 2

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak…” 

Still on the plan set forth by the Lord in Joshua 6. A continuation of last week’s discussion, illustrating the principle that God’s plan of salvation and deliverance is not a plan that man would design.  

On the 7th day, God instructed them to do an accelerated marching, then to make a loud noise. The 7th day, the day of completion.  

The problem with many of us is that we do 6 days of noise-making, shouting, then 1 day of silence. 

When we go into battle, we announce our presence…then the mighty men of the cities take positions, the kings take positions and they start shooting their arrows. But God says, don’t let them have any clue what you are about to do. 

You’re coming from underground; underneath them don’t make noise, confuse your enemy  On the final day, God told them to go round 7 times. 

Then the 7th time, to make a loud, earth-quaking shout. Speaking, at the right time, in an indication of making use of a right moment, right opportunity. There is a time and season for everything on earth. 

A lot of people inexplicably miss their opportunities or appointed seasons, to speak out. Opportunities by nature are only available to us for a limited time before it is moved on for another person.  

May we never miss our time appointed, in Jesus Name You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom. 

The Art of War - Part 1

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Ecclesiates 3:1 – “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak…” 

The plan set forth by the Lord in Joshua 6 certainly illustrates the principle that God’s plan of salvation and deliverance is not a plan that man would design. 

If Joshua had met with his military advisors, no one would have come up with this unusual plan. 

Six days of utter silence & 1 day of deafening shout. The ordinary methods and weapons of warfare like battering rams or scaling ladders or towers were not to be used at all. 

A strategy not employed again with other cities, it teaches us that though we have human responsibilities in tearing down the strongholds raised up against the knowledge of God, victory is dependent on two things: God’s power (His presence, Holy Spirit) and faith in His instructions. 

Hebrews 11:30 When God gives instructions, they are de-tailed and specific. God wants His instructions carried out accurately and in details. 

HE gave Israel specific instructions.  Part of the divine instructions is the weapon of silence. I imagined this must be difficult for them. Millions of people marching around a city without a word, not even a whisper! 

There were the priests with their trumpets, those with the ark, the armed men and then the rest of the people. They were to be in utter silence. Even the women & children. For six whole days. 

This strategy illustrates and teaches us the principle of being silent before God and just resting in Him. Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent… ”, in Jesus Name 

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

March 2023 - Month of Ebedmelech & Epaphras

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this our new Month of Ebedmelech & Epaphras, in Jesus name.  Isaiah 59:16 – “A nd he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor...” 

The word “intercede” means to mediate, to plead, to pray or solicit to one party in favor of another. 

God desires that we are intercessors. Intercession is not to be done by some only. 

When we pray, we shouldn’t just pray for ourselves alone. 

We should intercede for the church, relatives, friends, church members, unbelievers, enemies, the whole world, and all in authority etc. Jesus still wants all to be saved, and He, alone, has the role of the Great Intercessor.  

Ebedmelech (Jeremiah 38:7-9) and Epaphras (Colossians 4:12-13) are two intercessors, one interceding by his deeds and works (coupled with faith) and the other interceding through prayers (coupled with faith). 

In Isaiah 59: 1-21, God stated that there was no intercessor to mediate, to pray, or to plead for favor. He looked for a man but could not find one.  

Welcome, Mercy seatizens, to March 2023, “Our Month of Ebedmelech & Epaphras”. Two unsung heroes of intercession. 

Brethren, some people have been faithful to intercede & pray for us, and continually too. 

As concerning the ministry of intercession and intervention, may we remain relevant in the Lord’s plan, in Jesus Name. 

Amen

There Was a Great Woman

From Our Pastor's Desk

2 Kings 4:8  And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. 

And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. So many great women in the Bible – Esther, Deborah, Anna etc (and they have things in common) but the Bible specifically wrote this woman as great, WHY? Webster describes Greatness as unusually, considerably or comparatively large in size, dimensions, degree, power, intensity, etc. 

Greatness means wonderful, first rate, or very good. Greatness may also mean immense, enormous gigantic, huge, vast, grand. A great person can be referred to as a champion, notable, remarkable, exceptionally outstanding, a famous, distinguished etc. 

He must have been a person who has achieved importance or a distinction in a field. Greatness is not measured by size or volume of possession. Jesus said in Luke 12:15 –“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”  

He then told a parable, concluding with v23 that “The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment” This shows us great-ness means having a large heart, generous and accommodating. A heart that is ever willing to give, has a giving habit. 

Greatness makes others great. Jesus was a great man not by His material possession but by His material distribution, He gave until there was no more material thing to give, then He gave His life. 

A truly great man or woman’s size reflects in other people’s lives. Such was the great woman in Shunem, in the order of Shobi, Machir & Barzillai. May our lives be recorded as great, according to Biblical definition, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom. 

Give a Helping Hand

By Deacon Joseph Nnaji 

We all need somebody to lean on in life, because there will always come a time in everyone’s journey that they will get tired or discouraged. 

Even our Lord and savior Jesus Christ needed someone to lean on and God had to send an angel to come and minister to Him in Matthew 4:11.  

In Job 2:11-13, we saw how three friends all came together from different location to sympathize with their friend Job. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. 

These men the bible said that when they’ve heard all that have befallen Job their friend agreed to visit him, their mission was clear, but whether they accomplished the task is a story for another day. 

As 2 Corinthians 8:12 puts it, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” God is not asking us to give what we don’t already have, but that which we do have.  

2 Samuel 14:32-37, we saw Hushai the Archite came to meet David with his coat rent, and earth upon his head, but David told him not to be a burden by going with him, but he should go back to the palace and be his eyes and ears there. 

And in 2 Samuel 17:7-8,14-16, Hushai was the one that God used to give a counter counsel which saved the king’s life. Ahithophel’s counsel described in 2 Samuel 16:23, “Is like one who had enquired at the oracle of God.” 

In 17:23, he went home after his counsel was rejected and hanged himself. And in Acts 9:36, we’ll look at the life of Tabitha (Dorcas) who was full of good works and alms deeds. 

Let us also learn from Aaron and Hur, in Exodus 17:12, they supported and held up Moses hands so that Israel could defeat their enemy. 

My prayer is that God will bless each of us to be able to lend a helping hand, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

Who Are Your Friends?

 From Our Pastor's Desk

Mark 2:4 - “Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on” 

Two stories about life. One is about this paralyzed man that was painstakingly smuggled to the presence of Jesus. 

He had a very severe health problem, but thank God for his four friends, only four of them, climbed the house, uncovered the roof and let down their sick friend with ropes before Jesus.

What they did was never easy! Only true friends could endure such. He was blessed with true, quality friends. 

The other story is about "a certain man by the pool in Bethesda, who had an infirmity thirty and eight years". He also had a severe health problem. 

On a fateful day our Lord, while passing his way, and knowing the man had been there a long time, asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?" 

This man’s answer was strange: “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool..." John 5:7 Strange but true. No true friend. No family member. 

When the going was probably good for the man, he had many friends who feasted and jollied with him. But sure enough, when the going got tough, when he became very ill, no friend was around when he needed them most. 

My prayer is that God will bless each of us with true quality friends, and make us good friends onto others as well, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.   

Shalom.

Sons of Encouragement

From Our Pastor's Desk

Acts 4:32-36 - The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. 

With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all. 

There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need. 

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. One of the devil’s most effective weapons. Not new, been around since the beginning of time. 

Do you get discouraged? The truth of the matter is if you aren’t now, you have been. If you haven’t been, you will be.  Everyone gets discouraged at one point or the other. It’s a state or feeling of dejection, depression and despair in the face of obstacles. 

A time of hopelessness, you get disheartened, weakened, demoralized, and gloomy. You become pessimistic about everything, sad. None of us go through life without periods of discouragement. If you currently are, you are in good company, know that the Bible talks about a lot of discouraged people – Hannah, Elijah, Peter, David, etc., and even Jesus Christ. In 2nd Samuel 17, David, the king was perhaps at his lowest point ever! 

He was literally fleeing for his life! He had been embarrassed, driven from his home (by his son Absalom) and was under deadly attack from the enemy. But just like the time of the Apostles above with the rising of Joseph Barnabas (son of encouragement), God arose three sons of encouragement for David and all that were with him, called Shobi, Machir & Barzillai. 

May the Lord raise encouragers for us and make us vessels of encouragement for others, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023. 

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

February 2023 - Month of Shobi, Machir & Barzillai

From Our Pastor's Desk

Welcome to this our new Month of Shobi, Machir & Barzillai in Jesus name.  David the king was perhaps at his lowest point ever, literally fleeing for his life. 

The king and his men were on the run from his son Absalom. But three faithful, loyal men appeared on the scene. Their goal was solely to help their king. And they had "gifts" for their leader. 

And "encouragement" was their passion. The 3 men were Shobi (glorious captor), Machir (sold) and Barzillai (made of iron). 

Their deeds were recorded in 2nd Samuel 17:27-29 - "brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, 'The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.'” 

Mercy Seatizens, welcome to February 2023, Our Month of Shobi, Machir, and Barzillai. Their  story is about giving, appropriate & relevant gifts, rendering help, and encouraging our leaders. 

This month & beyond, may the Lord make us vessels of help, encouragement, givers and edifiers, in Jesus Name. 

Amen

Jethro-nomics

From Our Pastor's Desk

Jethro-nomics is the Biblical business study and consultancy using the principles, practices, thoughts and benefits of the pre, during & post-effect of the Godly counsel given to Moses by his father-in-law Jethro - Deji Adewale. 

Very interesting concept, for an equally interesting situation, resulting in a well-deserved and appropriate counsel. Jethro watched Moses as he put in long hours day after day. 

And Jethro said to him: "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. 

The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Exodus 18:17-18. When Moses led the people of God out of Egypt there were at least 600,000 men with their wives and children (Exodus 12:37). 

And all day long, every day for several weeks, he’s been in the desert with these people and he has constantly been judging their many conflicts and disputes. 

Very tiring. Both for Moses & the people. Why didn’t God tell Moses directly what to do in regards to judging the people? It wasn’t that God spoke to Moses but he didn’t listen due to ego or pride. 

Moses was meek. But you see, God never designed us to work alone.  Do not stand alone or be an authority on your own! 

By doing that, you could become another Samson who refused to listen to his parent's counsel. The Lord grant us grace to listen to our Jethros and follow Godly counsel , in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

Value from the Devalued

From Our Pastor's Desk

1st Corinthians 1:27-29 - “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence”  

Many of us have lost our recovery, restoration, lost opportunities, blessings and so on, because of pride and “too much wisdom.” 

Some of us think you can’t get help from those that are seemingly “not wise” enough, poorer than us, or from those that serve us. God has promised to send us help on a regular basis. 

These help will come as at when due, for God is very faithful. However, we may never be too sure of the vessels that will carry the help – either the honorable or the despicable.  

Therefore, we should beware of how we treat people who come across our way. The despicable are capable of carrying our most critical help from above. 

The “nobodies, small-fries, light-weights” etc. We were created to live interdependently. We need one input or the other from others to facilitate our fulfillment in life. 

Unarguably, the inputs others have made into our lives are the reasons we are where we are today, and we need quite some more of such to attain our maximum. 

The way and manner these inputs are packaged is another ball game entirely.  We ask for grace never to despise those that are seemingly “small”; for from them could come our Godly counsels for greatness, in Jesus Name.  

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.

We Will Serve the Lord

From Our Pastor’s Desk

Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” 

Many of us are pew-warmers. But inside of us are talents and gifts that need to be stirred up for God’s use, as apostle Paul told Timothy in 2nd Timothy 1:6, saying “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee…” 

When things are not working the way they should, we get frustrated. 

If you put your money in a vending machine, and the machine failed to give you your soda or snack, you get angry and/or frustrated. 

Well, are you frustrating God by not doing exactly what He intended you to do when He created you? 

Are you working according to what He had in mind for your life? John 9:4 says, "I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." 

Take time today to ask yourself, "Whose work have I been working?" “Am I fulfilling God’s purpose upon my life?”  The time to serve the Lord is now, during our “day”. 

Let us rise in faith, commitment and devotion, like Joshua, and say “….we will service the Lord”  And as you labor in His vine-yard, He alone will give you a reward that no man can give, and silver/gold can never buy, in Jesus Name. Amen. 

You will have good success this 2023.  

Remain blessed.  

Shalom.