THE CROSS-OVER GRACE

THE PARABLE OF WHEAT AND TARES

A Parable is a teaching method used by Jesus to convey deep spiritual truths through simple stories all understood. This is the Parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt 13:24-30; 36-43). The Man who sows the seed represents Jesus or God. He plants good seeds, a symbol of spreading the Gospel and the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Field is the world where the seeds (God’s Word) are sown. The Good Seed are the children of the Kingdom, those who receive and live by God’s Word. The Kingdom of Heaven is the rule and reign of The Lord Jesus Christ as King. It is not just a future concept but a present reality, established in the world through the spreading of the Gospel. Tares are bitter and poisonous to men and animals. Flour made from tares is grey in colour, with a sour bitter taste. It produces dizziness, nausea, trembling and sometimes death if eaten in sufficient amounts. Spiritually, tares are seeds Satan is planting. They are counterfeits, false brethren who look convincing for a season but rooted in rebellion. The true believers are called to grow and bear fruit in the world. As the Sower waits for harvest, we exercise patience and discernment, trusting God’s timing and judgment. We know that there is an enemy (Satan) who seeks to disrupt the work of the Kingdom. We must be alert in prayer, spread the Word and continue to do spiritual warfare!

Jesus is showing us Satan’s favourite tactic. It is a very clever strategy. When the farmer sows the good seed, the enemy does not try to dig it up, burn the field, poison the ground or steal the wheat. Instead, he plants his tares among the wheat. The roots of the tares are like underground “leeches”. They surround the roots of the wheat to suck up all its nutrients. Because the roots are so intertwined, pulling these tares out also uproots the wheat. The tares are called “false wheat”. They look just like the real wheat until they bear seed. At harvest, the difference is clear. The tares proudly stand up. In worship, the wheat bows its head because the seeds are heavy. Jesus is teaching us today: in life or in church, it is very hard to tell who is good and who is bad. Sometimes, we must wait until the harvest to discover the truth. That takes discernment of spirits, prayer, patience, faith, and hope!

Who are Satan’s bad seeds? They are bitter people, discouragers, deceivers and oppressors. They choke the good seed. The Christians around them remain spiritually immature and unfruitful. These bitter complaining people discourage you to study the Bible, fast, pray and serve God better. “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them… He who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matt 13:7,22). “Look carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Heb 12:15). The tares are religious people who claim to be Christians, attend church, but lack the spiritual fruit of love. They don’t feed others. They preach False Doctrines or behaviours that contradict clear Scripture. They minimize the cross, deny Jesus’ deity, or distort God’s grace into license. “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). Bitter people are proud, have unresolved anger issues, and lack forgiveness. They are never happy, have a wrong perception of reality, a victim mentality and a desire for revenge. They isolate themselves from others. Jesus warned us: “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:16). Selah!

They are religious but lack the power of the Holy Spirit to transform their character, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim 3:5). They do not hate sin. They live in habitual, unrepentant, rebranded sin. “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1Jn3:6). They follow rebellious leaders who exploit others for their gain or glory. False prophets deny or replace the power of the Holy Spirit with emotional hype, or human effort. Separate yourself from them!

How do we identify the true believers? These are people of the Word, wise, loving, genuinely spiritual. Their confession and lives are Christ centred, with Evident fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23). They display Wisdom that is “pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits” (Jam 3:17). There is an increasing likeness to Christ over time. Lessons for us: Study and Stay in the Word because it is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17) and the Plumb Line for Truth! Human wisdom is useless and dangerous. Test the spirits (1Jn 4:1). Compare every impulse or teaching with Scripture. Watch for the long-term fruit. Time exposes the truth. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s inner voice of peace or warning. Obey it!

The farmer servants wanted to uproot the tares. The farmer surprised them by saying ‘no!’ Why God Allows Tares to Remain? For the Protection of the wheat: premature pulling can damage the tender shoots of the good shoots.  For the Display of God’s patience: “The Lord is not slow… but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Pet 3:9). For the Clearer revelation at harvest. Light shines on truth!

How should we Respond When We Notice Weeds? Stay Calm! The Master is aware; nothing escapes God’s eye. Guard Your Own Growth. Focus on healthy nourishment: Word, prayer, fellowship. Hold to truth without dilution. Extend Love, Grace, Kindness and help others, but do not Compromise your testimony.  Leave Ultimate Separation to Christ. Trust that He will do it at the Harvest time thru His angels!

Search your heart! Practice repentance, worship and gratitude; these spiritual activities enrich the soil for the good seed to grow. Serve others. Weeds thrive in selfishness, but love drives them out. In our complicated world, we should spend more time planting love, kindness and forgiveness, than trying to pull up hatred, bitterness, envy and anger. Jesus is our master gardener who knows exactly what He is doing. He assures us that at harvest time, the wheat will be gathered and brought into His barn, and the tares will be burned. Jesus never makes mistakes. He knows every stalk of wheat and will separate the true from the false at the appointed time. Until then, keep sowing, watering, watching, and let His Word and His Spirit guide you every step. Maintain hope, pray and persevere. God can transform tares into wheat through the new birth! The harvest is sure and shining: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”!

THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal 6:7-10). The Law of sowing and reaping is a natural law. It affects everyone in every area of life, family, work, and pleasure. At creation, God commanded the earth to bring forth plants “bearing seed and fruit with seed in it” (Gen 1:12). These plants were given to man for food. Sowing and reaping is also a spiritual law. Our actions have consequences. What we sow in faith, we will reap the same in God’s timing. God uses this law to bestow His blessings, generally to the whole world as He sends sun and rain to the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45). Sometimes, His blessings increase. Isaac sowed seed and received a hundredfold harvest because the Lord targeted him for special blessing (Gen 26:12). Every farmer understands this law: We reap what we sow, proportionately and more than we sow, and later than we sow. 

*We reap in kind what we sow. Those who plant apple seeds should expect to harvest apples, not pears. Those who sow anger should expect to receive what anger naturally produces. Living a life of carnality and sin and expecting to inherit heaven is the same as planting sand and expect roses from the ground. Sowing and reaping implies a period of waiting. Nothing good grows overnight. The farmer must be patient to see the fruit of his labours. God will bring forth fruit in His time and for His glory. Until then, we faithfully labour in His field. This works positively and negatively. “Those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same” (Job 4:8). “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead” (PV 11:8). *We reap proportionately what we sow. The more seed planted, the more fruit is harvested. The Bible applies this law to our giving. Those who are generous will be blessed more than those who are stingy. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor 9:6). *We reap more than what we sow. The law of sowing and reaping is related to the law of multiplication bringing forth “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matt 13:8). One little lie can produce many troubles. One good deed result in blessings to last a lifetime. *We reap later than we sow!

God is the Ultimate Provider. All gifts and blessings come from God. He supplies for both physical and spiritual needs. Trust God to provide. Show love to others. Live a righteous life; a life that pleases God! Our righteous acts are seeds that God will multiply. We share what we have received: truth, effort, spiritual gifts, abilities, words of encouragement, kindness, time and opportunities to help others for the sake of Christ! Give generously and cheerfully to church, missions and to the needy. Pray that the seeds sown will produce lasting fruit. The harvest includes spiritual growth, transformed lives, and eternal reward. Faithfulness now sets the stage for multiplied impact later.

Jesus sent Peter to catch a fish with money in its mouth. God told Isaac to stay there but did not tell him to plant. It was Isaac who thought of farming. The natural must cooperate with the supernatural. Isaac planted seed according to the written word: “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest… Shall not cease” (Gen 8:22). Be sure you are at the place God wants you to be. Blessings are related to locations. Most Christians behave like the world. They look for natural solutions to their problems. They ask: where can I find loan to build my house? Others only look at the supernatural. They fast, pray and wait for miracles. Both extremes are wrong. You need a word from God and then “be strong and work!”. Isaac planted seed in the dry ground. That looks foolish. But God blessed the seeds and the harvest was a 100-fold. That type of harvest is rare even during normal seasons with rains. It is God’s blessing! Nothing is impossible for God! Praise the Lord!

GOD HAS ALL POWER

Earth spins once in 24 hours. At the equator the speed of the Earth is 1,600 km per hour! Without fuel! “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God” (Ps 62:11). When God speaks, it is final. All men must listen, understand and obey God’s Word. God is omnipotent. He has the Almighty power to create. He is the ultimate Judge and Ruler over all men, devils and created beings. God has the power to save, protect, heal, deliver, kill or resurrect anyone according to His plan and purpose. God does whatever He is pleased to do. Nothing is too hard for him. His word is never void of power, so when He speaks, everything in creation obeys him. Of course, men disobey God; that is the essence of sin. But God has control even over sinful actions. He decides whether we will travel or stay home. He controls even the decisions of wicked people. He decided, once, that wicked people would kill His dear Son, so that we sinners might live (Acts 2:23-24). God’s Love, power and grace culminate in the Person of His Son. “Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt 28:18; AMP).

God’s power is constant, unchanging, exclusively His own, with no rival, and no shortage. Power is not merely from God; it is His exclusive possession. This revelation is settled. It is a truth that provides stability and assurance in a world of uncertainty. We must listen attentively to God’s voice, recognize and submit to His authority. We must rely on God’s power rather than our own strength, especially in times of trouble or weakness. Understanding that power belongs to God helps us to trust in His plans and purposes, even when they are beyond our understanding. Recognizing God’s power should lead us to worship Him with reverence and awe, acknowledging His supreme authority over all creation. Because all power belongs to God, fear, doubt and anxiety must be totally rejected. During trials, God’s power provides a way out of it (1Cor 10:13). During financial stress, God is the Source of wealth. When sick, God heals and sustains. When spouse, children or friends go astray, God’s wisdom and strength will bring them back. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philip 4:13)!

THE CROSSOVER GRACE

Read Acts 16:16-40. Paul and Silas went to prison for doing God’s will. They prayed and praised God at the same time. Prayer can be silent. Praise is always done with loud voices, with clapping hands and dancing feet. Paul and Silas were in chains. They could not clap their hands or dance with their feet. But they could shout and sing praises to God. They praised God while in pains, wounded. They praised God while in confusion. Why did God allowed them to be arrested for doing ministry? Praise releases power. It is also called “Midnight Grace” or “Cross-over Grace”. The Power of Resurrection breaks chains and opens graves of sickness, poverty and all bondages. The prisoners heard them and were convicted. None ran away. The jailer and his family became saved. This is God’s time of revival! Worship the Lord!

THREE GRAPES FOR WORSHIP

Read Mark 12:38-44. This scene takes place in the Temple in Jerusalem, specifically in the Court of Women, where the treasury was located. The treasury consisted of thirteen trumpet-shaped brass chests used for collecting offerings. Jesus was observing the actions and intentions of the people, highlighting His omniscience and ability to discern the heart. The Temple was central in Jewish worship. The act of giving was not only a religious duty but also a social expectation, as it supported the Temple’s functions and the needs of the poor. The mention of “rich people” highlights the socio-economic diversity present in the Temple. Their large contributions were likely visible and audible, drawing attention to their wealth. The contrast between the rich and the poor widow serves to illustrate the principle that God values the heart’s sincerity over the quantity of the gift. Jesus’ eyes measure hearts, not coins. He sees the story behind every offering.

Widows in the bible are mentioned as poor and socially isolated. They are without the support of a husband. God commands His people to help them. The amount this widow put in the offering box is extremely small. At that time, this amount could buy 3 grapes or 12 minutes of labour. This widow gave to those who were supposed to care for her. In today’s money is 1/8th of one cent. Today, her offering was about 1 Naira. The amount she gave was the smallest amount possible, but the cost to her was massive. She gave all her money to God. She has total faith in God to supply tomorrow’s needs after emptying today’s purse. True faith rests on God’s provision rather than retained reserves. Trust God’s promise: “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philipp 4:19). Her motive was worship, not recognition; no one applauded her offering except Jesus. Sacrifice flows from love. “If I give all I possess to the poor but have not love, I gain nothing” (1Cor 13:3). Jesus called His disciples to show them the value of this widow’s sacrifice of worship.

LESSONS FOR US:

*No matter how poor you are on earth, when your gift to God is from your heart, your worship is accepted and valued in heaven.

*Giving Flows from Worship: Like devout Jews, she went to the Temple as part of her worship. Her offering was motivated by obedience to God’s Word: “Honor the LORD with your wealth And with the first fruits of all your crops (income)” (PV 3:9;AMP)

*Faith in God’s Provision: By giving her last coins, the widow demonstrated trust that God would care for her. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2Cor 9:8). Such faith stands as a practical example for anyone thinking whether to hold back out of fear or give generously in faith. She trusted God fully! 100%!

*Be consistent, not impulsive. Small, faithful sacrifices over time honour Him more than rare, showy gifts.

*Give to God first, before spending elsewhere, even if the figure is small. The Heart over the Bank principle!

*Giving is an act performed before God’s gaze, not for crowd’s admiration. Give quietly. Let God’s “watching” to be enough (Matt 6:3-4).

*Size impresses people; sacrifice impresses the Savior, who notices motives first, and amount second.

*Wealth can mask spiritual poverty when generosity flows only from surplus. No offering is too small!

*This Exposes hypocritical religiosity: The widow’s silent clang lessens the ostentatious noise of wealthy donors.

*True giving always costs something valuable: time, comfort, security, mental resources, forgiveness, hospitality, and money.

*Faith and worship always involve giving. Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. Revivals in church always manifest as generosity!

*Paul calls sacrificial gifts “a fragrant offering” (Phil 4:18). Many gave great offerings, but it is this widow that captures Jesus’ attention.

*David said, “I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Sam 24:24). God honours genuine worship!

*The widow’s act shows true agape love for God. In her lack, she chose to honour God. Love for Him supersedes the size of the gift itself.

*How to be a generous giver? Start where you are! Give small amounts first. God will bless you and will increase your money to give more. “For if the willingness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (2Cor 8:12).

*The widow’s two mites made small sound on earth but a great sound in heaven. Jesus described the widow’s offering to redefine worth, expose hypocrisy, exemplify covenant faith, foreshadow His own sacrifice, and instruct disciples how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. God measures generosity by the surrender of the heart rather than by the sound of the coins. Giving is to be measured not by its count, but by its cost! Not by the amount, but by its percentage. Not by what is given, but by what is kept. Not by money but by the Spirit! Selah!

HOW TO HATE THE LOVE OF MONEY

“And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1Tim 6:8-10).

Global studies show that once basic needs are met, additional income yields diminishing returns on life satisfaction. Food and clothing are the basics necessary to survive. We must find Contentment in Simplicity. In Greek, the word “content” means sufficiency and satisfaction with what one has now. We are encouraged to find joy and peace in the basics of life. We must guard our hearts against materialism. We must trust God to supply for all our needs. We must value the eternal treasures more than the temporary gains.

The Bible often warns against the love of money. Jesus states that one cannot serve both God and money (Mt 6:24). The desire for riches can lead to idolatry, placing wealth above God in our minds. In the cultural context of the early church, wealth was often associated with power and status. The love of money is still a common struggle for believers. Temptation means being “enticed by your own desires” (Jam1:14,15). Believers can become ensnared. This suggests a trap or a snare, indicating that these desires can capture and control a person. Foolish and harmful desires are those that lack wisdom and lead to negative consequences. “A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished” (PV 28:20). It is dangerous to pursue money without regard for spiritual values and moral integrity. The consequences of succumbing to these desires are severe, leading to both spiritual and potentially physical ruin. The terms “ruin” and “destruction” shows the ultimate futility of placing hope in material wealth rather than in God. This is a sudden and overwhelming downfall. Paul warns against the initial motive by addressing the root before visible behaviours manifest.

The Greek word for “desire” implies deliberate intention. Wealth can create a false sense of security. True riches are found in a life devoted to God. Cultivating contentment in Christ protects against the lure of wealth. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1Tim6:6). Sin originates in lustful desire, not in created goods. Wealth-driven desire dethrones God, replacing Him with mammon. Christ teaches that worldly gain can forfeit one’s soul. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mk 8:36). We must give an account for our lives on earth. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27). Research proves the Bible. Materialistic goals show decreased happiness and increased anxiety. Covetousness fractures contentment and divides community.

The love of money is the root of many evils but not the sole cause of every sin. It is the love of money and not money itself that is sin. Love for money is often contrasted with the Love for God. These two loves compete in our hearts. The Greek word for “love of money” implies an excessive or never satisfied desire for wealth. In the Ten Commandments coveting is prohibited (Exo 20:17). The love of money leads to idolatry, as it may replace God as the primary focus of one’s life. The Love of money leads to destructive, sinful behaviours like stealing, lying, oppression, and exploitation of others. The craving for wealth can become an obsession, leading men away from faith, truth, godly testimony and the joy of Salvation. Backsliding is a gradual process, often unnoticed until is far from the safe path of truth. The parable of the Sower shows how deceitfulness of wealth chokes the word, making it unfruitful (Mk4:18,19). The backslider “pierces” himself with many sorrows, the inevitable result of prioritizing wealth over spiritual well-being. Examples are Achan and Judas Iscariot (Josh 7, Matt 26:14-16). The rich young ruler (Mk 10:17-22) exemplifies how attachment to wealth leads to sorrow and loss of eternal life. Faith is vital in a relationship with God. Abandoning faith is spiritual suicide. The verb “pierced” means impaled. It is a self-inflicted agony that money cannot soothe. Sorrows include anxiety, loneliness, and spiritual dryness. What promised happiness ends in disappointment and regret.

Let us move from Warning to Wisdom. We must Guard Our Hearts. Cultivate contentment, generosity and gratitude. Treasure heaven more than the earth. Be sure that Christ is central in your heart! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). Amen!

LIVE BY GENEROUS FAITH             

Read Ecclesiastes 11:1-6. “Cast your bread upon the waters” suggests an act of faith and generosity. “Bread” means everything valuable that God places in our hands: money, time, talents, possessions, or influence. “Waters” are places and people around us, mysterious and beyond our control. This is God’s promise: even when we cannot follow our gift or know where our seed travels, God guarantees than in His time, we shall receive a return. Casting it “upon the waters” means doing acts of kindness. It is like sowing seeds. Jesus said: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Lk 6:38). The phrase “after many days” indicates a period of waiting and patience, trusting God’s timing and faithfulness. The promise that “you will find it” suggests that acts of faith and generosity are not in vain. God is faithful and rewards those who trust and obey Him. This return may not always be material but can manifest in spiritual blessings and eternal rewards.

The idea here is one of openhanded generosity. Give freely, wisely, and generously to the needy around you. This may look like wasteful acts, like a drunkard carelessly giving his money away. The truth is that no one takes good bread and throw it in the river. But here we are commanded to do that very thing. God says that we should be willing to take a chance and help someone. When you see people in need, though you do not know how they are going to use your money, nevertheless, be generous. Cast your bread upon the waters, for in the wisdom and purpose of God it will return to you one day when you too need help. There are many stories of people who helped strangers; then, some later time, that person or that deed resurrected to help them in their own time of need. Selah!

These are some Practical Ways to “Cast Bread”: We consistently give from our finances, time, skills, words and influence we have with others. We give to the local church, to missions and to the needy. “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given” (PV 19:17). We visit the sick, to listen more than preach. We teach students to pass exams, build or repair homes, cars, or devices. We give professional advice, legal, medical, financial, as “pro-bono” service. We use social media to speak hope and pray!

“In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good” (Ecc11:6). Sow your seed in the morning! This shows initiative, the beginning of the effort. The hard work continues throughout the day. Perseverance is key. Working and not getting weary is a Biblical principle. This can be applied only when the work is led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. As human beings, we are limited in knowledge and control. Life is unpredictable. We don’t know which investment will grow. God is sovereign in choosing which seed prospers faster. It is good to have diverse sources of business because they yield different results. God can bless all our efforts resulting in hundredfold harvest. Our responsibility is to sow and work; God determines the success. We must not be idle or overly anxious about results. Why trusting God for harvest is so Hard? Because we can’t see the future. Effort doesn’t always equal predictable results and waiting stretches our faith and patience.

Why God Calls Us to Risk Generosity? Because God is generous. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… “ (Jn 3:16)

It Breaks the bondage of the love of money, pride and anxiety. It Opens doors for the gospel, for evangelism. It invites His supernatural provision thru open heavens and gives more Grace to the humble and faithful!

LESSONS FOR US:

God created the universe. Everything belongs to Him. “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts” (Hag 2:8). We are privileged to be servants and stewards in God’s Kingdom. This implies that we are entrusted with caring for God’s creation. We view resources, finances, material goods, gifts and abilities as on loan from God. We must be responsible as we use the things we have and to be generous to Gods work. As Stewards under God, we must be faithful and honest. We are accountable to God for our service. “It is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy” (1Cor 4:2; AMP). We cannot deceive or cheat God! As God’s servants, we are sure that God provides for all our needs. God is not limited nor lacking in resources. Paying our tithes, giving offerings to ministry, to the poor, and to missions reveals that all wealth belongs to God. We are grateful to God for our lives, salvation and for giving us the privilege to serve Him. Selah!

Why must we trust God in the Middle of the Unknown? Because God is sovereign! Nothing happens outside His authority. God alone knows the end from the beginning. God works every detail for our good (Rom 8:28). God is faithful, has unlimited Power and His Promises are sure! Keep sowing: faithfulness in planting seeds today positions you for tomorrow’s harvest. Reject laziness, fear and doubt! Diligently Plan, then release your plan to God. Celebrate small growth, reminding you that God is working. Encourage others who feel tired. Anxiety for us is never anxiety for God. Faithfulness is our duty; fruitfulness is His. Keep eternity in view; some harvests ripen beyond this life! Worship the Lord!

MONEY IS NEVER ENOUGH BUT GOD’S GRACE IS

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless… How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness” (Ecc 5:10; NIV, NLT).  In Hebrew, the words “love money” describe not just possession of wealth, but an emotional devotion like to a friend. It is a love relationship. The words “never has enough” mean a continuous emptiness that has no end. “Income” means salary, farm produce, harvest or gold. Man’s desire for wealth is so great that it cannot be satisfied. Man is created in the image of God. He is a spiritual being. Material possessions cannot fulfill spiritual needs, cannot bring true contentment or happiness in life. In the cultural context of the Bible, wealth was often seen as a sign of God’s blessing, yet the scriptures consistently warn against placing trust in riches. No matter how much income one accumulates, it will never be enough to satisfy the deeper longings of the heart. Happiness in life, when sought apart from God ends in vanity. In Hebrew, the word “meaningless” means vapor or breath. It doesn’t last. Earthly pursuits are temporary and can’t provide eternal satisfaction, pointing to the need for a deeper, spiritual focus. A love for money leads to endless cycles of desire and disappointment. Placing wealth above God is a form of idolatry, drawing us away from spiritual priorities. See wealth as a tool for stewardship rather than ownership. Shift perspective from accumulation to generosity and service. True satisfaction in life comes from a relationship with God thru Jesus Christ rather than accumulating wealth.

The Bible says that man’s labour is under God’s curse and ends like man in the dust (Gen 3:19). The rich men do not carry their wealth or fame with them in the grave (Ps 49:16,17). “He who leans on and trusts in and is confident in his riches will fall, But the righteous [who trust in God’s provision] will flourish like a green leaf” (PV 11:28; AMP). Those who worship money shall go down into spiritual loss, material poverty, frustration and regret. But those who trust in God shall prosper eternally! Selah!

Why loving money is useless? People over-work to provide the best for their family but it never feels “enough”. They take loans and go into debt to sustain an expensive lifestyle that still does not satisfy. They upgrade their gadgets, cars, and clothes but still do not find enduring joy. They are always anxious when the price of things go higher, and they do not have lasting peace. How can we live in contentment? “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Have faith in God! He will provide all you need, spiritually and materially. You should know that your identity and satisfaction is rooted in Christ. Be grateful for what God has provided for you. Give thanks to God daily! Do not be envious on others. Be generous with your resources: Energy, time, money. Tithe and give sacrificially to God’s work and the needy, breaking money’s grip. Honor the Sabbath Day! Every Sunday rest from making money. Attend your local church and rejoice with your family. Invest in eternal riches: in godly relationships, discipleship, and gospel ministry. Have a heavenly mindset. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col 3:2). This points us to the only One who can truly satisfy: our faithful, unfailing Lord, Jesus Christ!

Why is the love of money so dangerous? Because it directly competes with the worship of God in the heart. Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). Wealth can become an idol, a master, demanding our worship. Wealth deceives and chokes God’s Word (Matt 13:22). Jesus also said: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Lk 12:15). In Greek, “life” (zoe) refers to the fullness of life that God intends for us, which is not dependent on wealth, but on an intimate relationship with God, thru Jesus Christ, our Lord! Money is a good servant but a terrible master.

Global studies show that once basic needs are met, additional income yields diminishing returns on life satisfaction.  Then why are we so infatuated with money? Because Money buy food, shelter, power, influence, titles, positions, and pleasures. These things look like success in life. Money can be counted. Not everything can be counted. A king has authority over men, but he cannot “count” his authority. But he can count his money and his gold. That makes him feel happy. Also, money can be stored and used later. The king’s power cannot be stored. He can lose it today, but money can be kept in a bank to be used later. Money gives men peace about tomorrow. “Money answers everything” (Ecc 10:19,b). This sentence is descriptive, not prescriptive. Scripture records what people conclude; it does not commend this attitude as righteous. While money can solve many practical problems, it should not be the ultimate pursuit. We should use our resources wisely and for God’s glory. Understanding the role of money in life requires wisdom. We should seek God’s guidance in financial decisions.

Men tend to depend on wealth. Why? Wealth offers quick fixes. For example, paying a bill removes immediate stress. Paying for a party produces temporary joy. Bribing gets influence and access to power. Because money often “works,” we assume it will always work, building a misplaced confidence. “The rich think of their wealth as a strong defence; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety” (PV 18:11; NLT). This sense of protection is only in his imagination. It is not real. “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath” (PV 11:4). Why is trust in money so deceptive? Because of Visibility: Bank accounts and assets are visible; God’s protection is “a strong tower” but it is spiritual, unseen.  Riches promise self-reliance, tempting us to become proud and independent from God. “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:17,18). We imagine that Money gives us control over life because Money seems to buy options, leading us to believe we can manage any life crisis ourselves and boast about things we want to do tomorrow. The Bible says that tomorrow is not our property. It belongs to God (Jam 4:13-16). Gives thanks to God!

LOVE CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR SOLD

Read Acts 8:9-24. Simon the magician had already “believed and been baptized” yet his heart was still captivated by the spectacular. He became part of the visible church. Everyone could say that he became saved. “When Simon saw…” What did he see? He “saw” with his own eyes the clear evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work, like the crowd witnessed at Pentecost. Peter said: “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Ac 2:32,33). What drew Simon was not the Gospel’s transforming power but the visible signs that followed it. He was like King Herod who was attracted by the miracles of Jesus but did not repent of his sins (Lk 23:8). Simon wanted the harvest but did not want to plant seeds! Selah!

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift given in the name of Jesus. It is not an entitlement. Peter declares, “Repent…and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Ac 2:38). Simon focuses on the gift but ignores the command to repent. The Spirit’s coming to a sinner who repents marks genuine conversion. “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom 8:9). Simon offers money to Peter, thinking that divine power is a product sold in the market. This reveals a heart still bound by sin, like Gehazi’s greed for Naaman’s silver (2 Kg 5:20-27). Simon’s offer exposes a transactional mindset: power for payment, grace for gold. It is utterly opposed to salvation, which is not cheap, but free, because Christ paid for it with His blood. Eternal Life is “without money and without cost” (Is 55:1). To give all the glory to God, Peter refused to use money for the healing of the crippled beggar (Ac 3:6). Scripture warns that the love of money corrupts faith and brings sorrow. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1Tim 6:10). Jesus said that you cannot serve both God and wealth (Matt 6:24).

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God, not a commodity to be bought or sold. Spiritual gifts and blessings are given according to God’s will and cannot be obtained through human means. It is the same with True Love. It cannot be bought or sold. Simon’s attempt to buy the Holy Spirit’s power serves as a warning against the influence of materialism in our lives. We must guard our hearts against valuing money or power over genuine love, faith and obedience. Our motives in seeking spiritual gifts or positions should be pure. The desire for promotion should not be rooted in pride or selfish ambition, but in a desire to serve God and others. The apostles’ role in imparting the Holy Spirit shows the importance of spiritual authority and leadership in the church. We must respect and submit to God-ordained leadership. 

“Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” (Ac 8:20). Peter’s words expose the impossibility of bargaining with God. God’s gifts, particularly the Holy Spirit, are given freely and cannot be purchased. Salvation is by Grace alone! We cannot earn or buy God’s favour! Real repentance abandons all attempts to earn favour. Peter’s rebuking Simon shows the importance of repentance and correction in the Christian community. When we go astray, we must be open to correction and willing to repent. Simon’s eyes were on the spectacular revealing superficial faith that had not yet surrendered selfishness. Peter demanded more than regret over consequences; he demanded a changed heart. Godly sorrow leads to repentance and to salvation. Simon told Peter: “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me” (Ac 8:24). It shows his fear of loss rather than love for God: He wanted to avoid judgment, yet we never read of a changed life. King Saul said: “I have sinned” but still lusted after honour before the people (1Sam 15:24-30). Judas returned the silver yet never turned his heart (Matt 27:3–5). The Holy Spirit remains sovereign, bestowed by God alone. The episode warns that external amazement can hide an unconverted heart. Search your heart! We must value the Giver above the gifts, guarding against treating God’s work as a market. The Holy Spirit is central to our lives, empowering and guiding us. We must seek to be filled with the Spirit through prayer and obedience, not through worldly means. Selah!

LOVE IS AS STRONG AS DEATH

“Put me like a seal on your heart, Like a seal on your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, [A most vehement flame] the very flame of the Lord! Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can rivers drown it. If a man would offer all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly scorned and despised” (SS 8:6,7;AMP). “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer31:3). “Love never fails” (1Cor 13:8).

There is saying in the world: “Every man has a price” (Sir Robert Walpoe, 1734). It means that every man is weak and has a breaking point in temptation. Every man can be bribed, or corrupted to act against his conscience to betray his friend, for a certain price. This price can be money, positions or power. This worldly saying does not know God’s Grace and His Agape Love! We see the power and nature of true Love. Nothing destroys it. Water is a form of destruction. The flood destroyed humanity except for Noah and his family. The Red Sea drowned the Egyptians. These waters and rivers are symbols of chaos and trials in life. All these attacks cannot quench Love. Love endures formidable forces. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God (Rom 8:38,39). Overwhelming crises, accumulated pressures, and floods of adversity cannot drown Love. Love is a fire that cannot be quenched. In Hebrew, the verb “quench” shows a man trying to put out a blazing fire with buckets of water. This is impossible when the flame is God-kindled. God’s Love is like a Fire that quenches all other lesser fires. Glory!

Love is priceless. It can’t be bribed. Love cannot be found in a market or in the Bank. Where Love stands, money hides. Love rejects any offer to be sold or bought. True love is selfless and sacrificial, not transactional. Attempting to purchase love diminishes its true value and essence. The scorn for attempting to buy love can be paralleled with the story of Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:18-20, who tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit and was rebuked by Peter. Spiritual and relational truths cannot be acquired through material means. True love is a powerful force that cannot be extinguished by external challenges or circumstances. It endures forever and it is steadfast to the end. The agape love reflects God’s love for humanity, which is unwavering and cannot be diminished by any force. The Floods of judgment against sin on the cross could not extinguish Christ’s love and commitment to His Bride. Jesus, “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1). In Aramaic, the words Jesus spoke on the Cross: “It is finished” (Kalah) also mean “Bride”. When Jesus died on the Cross, and paid with His Blood for our sins, He said: “This is for You, My Bride!” What a Love! Worship the Lord!

FOR THE JOY AHEAD

THE PRINCIPLE OF DELAYED GRATIFICATION

“The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecc 7:8,9). Gratification means pleasure, fulfilled desire or a reward received for a job well done. The Principle of Delayed Gratification means waiting for a bigger later reward instead of taking something smaller right now. It is the ability to resist immediate rewards in favour of larger, later benefits, that contribute to personal success in life. It is trusting God’s promises as more precious than anything the world has to offer. The world says, “You deserve this happiness now”. Jesus says, “Trust Me. What’s coming is better than you can imagine now. Wait on Me!” We live in a time of instant pleasure: cooking noodles in 2 minutes, making instant coffee… We desire instant gratification. We are impatient. God’s wisdom sounds foreign and old fashioned. Why invest in a better future? In the Bible, we see a different wisdom. It is the wisdom of God. We see that Faith is combined with Patience, reward follows obedience; to have a great harvest we must plant seeds in season. The Holy Spirit teaches us to invest in God’s wisdom, in self-discipline as we hope for future glory. Character is formed by waiting for God to perfect the present. Desire to experience love is purified by self-control. Joy increases when we trust God’s timing. God does not promise an easy life. But He promises a good life, a life shaped by faith, hope, and long-term joy. Delayed gratification is about desiring something better than immediate happiness, paying the price for eternal pleasures. “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps 16:11). Selah!

As spiritual farmers, we must submit to the discipline of planting seeds in season, before enjoying the harvest. The Christian life is a life of faith. “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). Spiritual growth is agricultural, not industrial. It does not respond to shortcuts. The farmer plants today, trusting in a harvest that comes only after watering, waiting, and watching. In a culture obsessed with immediate results, Paul reminds us that God’s kingdom operates on a longer timeline. We must submit to the discipline of Waiting. The Psalms are full of the theme of waiting on the Lord. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Ps 27:14). Waiting is not passive inaction. It is active trust. We wait—not because nothing is happening—but because God is working in ways we cannot see. Waiting and delayed gratification are part of the royal journey of every believer—from Abraham waiting for Isaac, to David waiting for a crown, to the church waiting for Christ’s return. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (Jam1:12).

We must live in the Hope of glory. Paul had an eternal perspective of life. When he faced beatings, hunger, and imprisonment he wrote: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor. 4:17). What sustained Paul was not ease and comfort but faith, patience and hope. His eyes were set on eternity. He lived by faith, with the conviction that the unseen realm is more real than what we see. This is the lens of delayed gratification: always believing that, in Christ, the best is still to come. We must live by the spiritual fruit of Self Control. Delayed gratification requires self-control. It is a mark of spiritual maturity and comes with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23). Without self-control, we say yes to every impulse or lust, and love gets spoiled. But with self-control, we learn to say “No” today for the sake of something more beautiful tomorrow. Such self-control is not mere willpower. It is Spirit-empowered restraint, rooted in the confidence that God’s timing and God’s ways are always better, for God keeps the best for last!

Jesus calls his followers to a radical reordering of desire. He says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. . .but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt 6:19,20). He is not calling us to reject a good life. But He invites us to trust in the pattern of delayed gratification; He wants us to invest in eternity. Give generously now. Love sacrificially now. Walk humbly now. Why? Because you trust that what God will bring at the return of Christ is better than what is temporary, fading and perishable. Jesus also teaches, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt 16:25). This advice sounds foolish, like a loss. But it is the pathway to fullness. To follow Jesus is to delay the pleasure the world offers, and to find in Him a joy that outlasts every earthly pleasure.

It has been discovered that successful people choose to consistently work for long-term goals. Avoiding distraction, staying self-motivated, and having a strong connection with why the goal is important are examples of delaying gratification. Instant gratification is a habit. But learning to delay the impulse for immediate pleasure in Favour of long-term satisfaction is a skill required for success in life. With prayer and patience, the brain forms new pathways for a better behaviour. These are five main areas where we must learn to delay gratification for the greater later good: Food, Sex, Money, Social interactions and Success. Withholding the impulse to react in anger to something your spouse has done or said is vital. Responsible sexual behaviour requires delayed gratification abilities. Parents know that a toddler throws a fit for having to wait five minutes for a cookie. Our physical bodies recognize pleasure as survival. Food, sleep, water, and sex are all means to survival. Intuitively, we have the natural impulse to receive these things as pleasurable. It is hard to wait! Relationships in general, and Marriages in particular, are just like wine, they mature with time. We plant seeds of love, help, favour, generosity and kindness. Later, we harvest Trust, Love, faithfulness, total commitment, Peace and success much greater than when the relationship began. Waiting is worth it!

THE MARSHMALLOWS TEST

In 1970, a group of preschool-aged children were placed in a room with marshmallows in front of them. The researcher informed the children that he would leave the room, and the kids were given two choices. If they could wait until the experimenter returned, they would receive more marshmallows. If they could not wait, they were instructed to ring a bell for the researcher to return, but they would not receive more marshmallows. The children displayed all kinds of delay behaviour by distracting themselves to wait for more marshmallows. Analysis of results developed into the foundational theory of self-control. The children who exhibited the ability to delay gratification showed higher levels of academic achievement at age 15, had a lower tendency towards anger, frustration and violence. They had more self-confidence, became happier and more successful later in life. Parents need to teach their children its value. 

Delayed gratification in the Bible is the practice of resisting immediate, fleeting pleasures to achieve greater, long-term spiritual rewards and to build godly character (patience, endurance). It emphasizes trusting God’s timing, storing up heavenly treasures, and persevering in doing good to reap a harvest “in due season” (Gal 6:9). These are some Biblical examples of using the principle of delayed gratification: Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the promised son, Isaac. Joseph resisted the immediate pleasure offered by Potiphar’s wife to maintain his integrity, leading to a later long-lasting promotion. Moses chose to endure mistreatment with God’s people rather than enjoy the present pleasures of sin in Egypt (Heb 11:24,25). The farmer waits patiently for the “precious fruit of the earth” until the rains fall and the harvest manifests (Jam 5:7,8). Easu is a negative example: He traded his long-time birthright for the immediate satisfaction of food (a bowl of beans stew). Success in life comes in choosing the pain of discipline over the moment of pleasure. This is delayed gratification!

As Christians, this is a foundational quality that will impact every area of our lives AND the way we view our place in this world.  God’s word calls for us as His children to give up many things, BUT in the long run, when we get to heaven, I am fully convinced we will boldly declare it was worthy it. Jesus said: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29). Selah!

FOR THE JOY AHEAD

Nowhere is delayed gratification more profound than in the journey of Jesus to the cross, for the sake of His people. In Gethsemane, He did not say “No” to the cross. Instead, He said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” He embodied the discipline of choosing long-term obedience instead of short-term relief. Jesus did not suffer for pleasure or fame. He endured suffering for something far greater than the immediate results. He suffered for the joy of redeeming our lives from the pit. Then God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Eph 1:19-23). Through His Spirit, we enjoy the power and freedom of self-control and the joy of delayed gratification.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb12:1,2). The word “therefore” connects with the previous chapter, the so called “hall of fame” of the saints. The “great cloud of witnesses” refers to people such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, who are examples and testimonies of living by faith. The imagery of a “cloud” suggests a vast presence of witnesses that are not passive observers but active encouragers in our faith journey. This can be an image of a stadium filled with spectators, drawing from the Greco-Roman context of athletic competitions.

The phrase “lay aside” implies a deliberate and decisive action to remove anything that hinders spiritual progress. “The weight” refers to any burden that slows us down, not necessarily sinful in itself but harmful to our spiritual race. The “sin that so easily ensnares” suggests specific habitual sins which hinder our relationship with God. The imagery is of being trapped, like a runner caught in a net. This call to action emphasizes the need for vigilance and self-discipline in the Christian life. Apostle Paul said about Striving for a Crown: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1Cor 9:24-27). The image of running a race is a common New Testament picture of the Christian life, showing perseverance, discipline, and focus. The word “endurance” shows the necessity of steadfastness and resilience in the face of trials. To be steadfast it means the quality of staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly. The “race set out for us” suggests a divinely appointed path, unique to each believer, yet part of a larger, communal journey of faith. The race is not a sprint but a marathon, requiring sustained effort and reliance on God’s strength.

The Command: “Looking unto Jesus” shows that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Centre of Man’s Salvation, the source and fulfilment of our faith. Jesus Christ is the central figure in Christianity, referred to as the “author and perfecter of our faith.” His life, death, and resurrection are foundational to Christian belief and salvation. We must look away from every distraction, circumstances and ourselves and focus on the Person of Jesus, the ultimate example of faithfulness. This “look” is not just a glance, but a long gaze to see Him on the Cross, dying for our sins. This gaze changes us from inside out and forever. Jesus is the Author of our Faith because He is the Word of God “thru whom all things were made” (Jn 1:1-3). Jesus is also the Finisher and Perfecter of our Faith. God will complete the work of faith He started in us (Phil 1:6). Jesus plants seed of Faith in our hearts, and He is also the Lord of the harvest in our hearts.

“For the Joy that was set before Him” shows us the motivation of Jesus. He endured the present pain and humiliation at the Cross because of a future reward. This looking forward perspective makes Jesus the best example of “delayed gratification principle”. We too must endure present trials with the hope of future glory. Apostle Paul said: “For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!” (Rom 8:18; AMP). Crucifixion is not only Physically painful but socially disgraceful. Jesus despised the shame of the Cross by rejecting the world’s honour in favour of God’s purpose in His life. God uses what is foolish in the world to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27). Jesus “sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. This position of honour given to Him by God is greater than any honour man could give to Jesus. It reveals that Jesus has finished the work God gave Him to do on earth. He died to save sinners, and He is now the King of kings, interceding for us from heaven, to run the race to the end. This revelation encourages us to value God’s approval over human opinions and His crown above human gifts. Glory to God!

LESSONS OF LIFE FROM JOSEPH

“Moreover, He called for a famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. 17 He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave.18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The Word of the Lord tested him. 20 The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions, 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom” (Ps 105:16-22)

Joseph is a symbol of Jesus. Joseph’s name means “to add, to increase, to multiply, to have a harvest”. Joseph’s life is a testimony of successful applying the principle or delayed gratification. Joseph was special. He had a tender conscience, a pure heart and a firm will. The brothers misunderstood him and thought he was proud. But Jospeh was a man of God. His secret was that “God was with him”. Joseph’s waiting had not been wasted. During those years, God was preparing him for that moment when his dreams come true. The skills Joseph learned in Potiphar’s house and in prison would soon be used to preserve his family and ultimately give rise to the nation of Israel.

These are some great lessons for us taken from the life of Joseph:

*Joseph was working as shepherd and “inspector” to his brothers as a young man of 17. He learned commitment to truth, faith and work. *Joseph had to learn to deal with negative peer pressure and jealousy from his brothers and unhealthy parental pressure.

*God called the famine in the Promised Land. God is in control of all circumstances, including natural events like famine. God has a greater purpose in trials. We must trust in His plans and purposes, and remain faithful even when they are not immediately clear

*Joseph – good example of preparation and stewardship. We should be wise in managing resources, trusting God to provide for our needs.

*God’s timing is perfect. The famine was part of His plan to bring Jacob’s family to Egypt, setting the stage for future deliverance.

*Just as Joseph’s actions provided for many, we are called to support and care for others in need.

*Joseph remained faithful to God despite his hardships. He did not become bitter. We must trust God, regardless of our circumstances.

*Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is a powerful example of how we should approach those who have wronged us, seeking reconciliation

*Joseph’s rise to power did not happen overnight. We must be patient and trust in God’s perfect timing for His plans to unfold in our lives.

*Joseph’s trials prepared him for a greater role in God’s plan. Our struggles can similarly prepare us for future service and blessings.

*Joseph’s promotion was not just for his benefit but for the preservation of many lives. God places us in positions for His greater purpose.

1-God’s plans and purposes are far greater than our own!

2-God provides and blesses those who wait and persevere to follow Him. God honours patience and perseverance in time of troubles.

3-Suffering to God’s people is not always bad! God can use the most painful time of our life for His Glory and for our good.

4-There is value in self-control living in the do-whatever-you-want today culture. Strive for honesty and strong ethics in your work!

5-Fulfilment of your dreams may come in unexpected ways. Joseph went to prison leading to royal appointment.

6-God’s delays are not denials. They are often divine preparation. When we grow impatient, we forget that God sees the whole picture. Joseph’s years of obscurity were essential. Without them, he would not have been ready for what lay ahead. If you are waiting on God, remain faithful. Trust that He is working behind the scenes. When His time comes, doors will open that no human effort could force. Amen!

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH:

1. Guard moral integrity when no one is watching; God always is.

2. Treat every assignment—large or small—as stewardship from the Lord. Lead Where You Are! Lead with Integrity! Lead with the Future in View! Lead with Confidence in God’s presence with you!

3. Seek God’s wisdom first, then act with bold, strategic planning.

4. Use authority to serve, teach, and lift up others.

5. Persevere through delays, trusting God’s timing.

6. Stay humble in promotion, giving glory to God.

7. Forgive quickly, remembering how God weaves even wrongs into His redeeming plan.

8- Nothing succeeds like Success! Nothing seduces like Success! Nothing sustains like Success!

Walk in these qualities, and like Joseph, you’ll find that God can use one faithful life to bless nations. Worship the Lord!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD – I WILL FOLLOW HIM FOREVER!

JEHOVAH ROHI (3)

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST AND FOUND SHEEP

Both Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:1-7 record Jesus’ parable about a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep in the fold to go in search of one that had wandered away. Jesus gave this illustration in response to the Pharisees who were angry that Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). The religious leaders in Jesus’ day had designed a system to exalt the self-righteous and exclude anyone who did not live up to their standards. They added so many rules to God’s law that no one could keep them all. When Jesus came, His style of ministry confused them. He seemed to be from God, yet He rebuked the outwardly righteous and welcomed the sinners. How could this man know God?

The people of Jesus’ day understood the relationship between shepherds and sheep, but the significance of a shepherd going in search of one lost sheep is sometimes lost on us. It seems strange that a shepherd would leave his flock to search for one missing sheep. This is an example to help us understand what Jesus is saying: a father and his five children are asleep in their home. Suddenly fire starts in the house. The father awakens to find his house filled with smoke. Panicked, he races to his children’s bedrooms and begins to wake them. Calling to some and carrying others, he stumbles down the stairs and out the front door. He deposits the sleepy children on the grass a safe distance away and then turns. Gasping for air, he counts his kids: Oyemi, Ebi, Ufuoma, Ifeanyi… where is Blessing? His youngest child, three years old daughter is missing!!! Four children are safe, one is not. What will this father do? He will ignore the danger of fire and will go back into that burning house. Why? To find his precious child trapped in the fire of sin!!! That is Love!!! God is a Father. He counts His kids. He rejoices that some are safe in Christ, prepared for eternity, close to His heart. But some are missing. This is the cry heaven and earth heard, the cry of the Father: “Where is Blessing?” God the Father sent Jesus on a rescue mission “to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). God did not abandon the 99. They are already safe in His kingdom, attended by His angels, and guided by His Holy Spirit. But His heart aches for those not yet in the fold. His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, went to earth and hell to find those lost sheep! Blessed be the Lamb of God!

When stubborn sheep want to go astray, The Good Shepherd allows them. He permits circumstances into their lives designed to make them look up. It is often in the midst of sorrow that we finally surrender our pride. We submit to our Shepherd, who carries us back to the fold. Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, saying, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (Jn 10:16,17). The 99 are still important to Him, but He knows the flock is not complete without the lost sheep. And a good shepherd always goes after the lost sheep.

“All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6a), and yet Jesus chases after those who have wandered from the flock—not because we deserve to be found, but because He loves us. The shepherd in this parable is Jesus, and the sheep are His followers. When a believer is lured by the love of the world and wanders from God, Jesus begins the chase. His pursuit is relentless until the believer is returned home. The first lesson is that God is the Pursuer of men. The second lesson is the value of men who are created by God. The third lesson is to see the Amazing Grace and the reckless Love of God. God the Father and Jesus want every single backslider to be found and rescued.

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt 18:10). Jesus warns the religious men to not despise the children, or those who are humble and have faith like a child. At that time, humble and needy people were regarded as having low social status. God does not discriminate people because He created them all. Each person, rich or poor, reflects the image of God. Jesus says that each believer, and especially the children, have guardian angels for protection who are in direct communication with God. Therefore, no believer is insignificant in His eyes. Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14). “To despise” means to look down on someone and see him as worthless. Lessons: respect every human being because they are all created by God. Refuse to discriminate against people based on their race, wealth, appearance or social status. Be careful with your words. Do not mock or joke about people. Look for ways to help those that are needy or discriminated against. Encourage others and not discourage them. God has not despised us but has welcomed us through Christ. As we mirror His gracious acceptance, our homes, workplaces, and churches become places where every person is treated with the honor their Creator bestows. Understanding the spiritual reality of angels and God’s care inspires us to live with a heavenly perspective.

“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matt 18:11). Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man,” a title that shows His role as the Messiah and His identification with humanity. This title is rooted in the Old Testament and signifies a divine figure with authority (Dan 7:13,14). Jesus came into this world. It shows that He had a life before He became The Son of Man, the Savior of sinners. He came to seek and to save those who are spiritually lost, separated from God because of their sins. This is the heart of the Gospel and the main purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Lessons: We must preach the Gospel and rejoice for every sinner who is found and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. We must have confidence that Christ actively seeks the lost sheep and none is too far for Him. Have compassion on sinners!

“If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?” (Matt 18:12). The number “hundred” signifies completeness and abundance, suggesting a full flock under the shepherd’s care. This flock is God’s people, with God or Christ as their Shepherd. Sheep are known for their tendency to wander, symbolizing men’s tendency to stray from God’s path. It shows the vulnerability and waywardness of sinners and their need for redemption. The shepherd leaves the 99 in the care of others and goes to find the lost sheep. It shows the value of each person. The shepherd’s action reveals God’s relentless Love and effectual Grace in pursuing men to salvation. It shows the personal nature of salvation, God’s care and His willingness to go to great lengths to restore a wayward soul. This points to the Cross, where Jesus died to save His sheep from sin and death. Selah!

The sheep symbolize Christ’ followers. The one sheep that goes astray represents those who wander away from the faith and need to be brought back into the fold. The 99 sheep represent the security and community found within the body of Christ. We are safe when we abide in His care. The sheep contribute nothing to their salvation except their lostness. Sin is not just a mistake. It is spiritual lostness. Without Jesus, you cannot find your way back. Recognize God’s irresistible grace in your salvation. It is God who pursues you, not you pursuing God. As believers, when doing evangelism, we should be proactive in seeking the lost. God will recover all His prodigal sons. No elect shall perish. Grace originates in the Shepherd’s heart, works through His costly pursuit, and culminates in Joyful restoration.

Another reason human beings are compared to sheep in the Bible is that sheep are prone to wander away from the flock. A sheep’s only chance of survival is with the flock under the care of a competent shepherd. Yet some sheep become proud, rebellious, or distracted, and they wander away. They see greener grass in the other direction or fail to notice when the flock moves away. Peter warned the church to be on the alert because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). A lion does not attack the flock. It waits until a solitary lamb wanders far from the shepherd. The 99 sheep represent those who are already saved and safe in the fold. The focus of the parable is on the lost sheep. God does not want anyone to perish. Each person has value. Jesus was seeking those who were rejected by the religious leaders, the tax-collectors, prostitutes and the outcast. This reveals the amazing nature of Grace. Lessons: As members of the body of Christ, we must care for one another and help restore those who have wandered. Like Jesus, we go to where most backsliders are found, to people’s homes, in the marketplaces, student campuses, online communities, and low-class neighborhoods. See each person with compassion and no condemnation. Selah!

GOD PROMISED TO SEEK AND FIND THE BACKSLIDER

“Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts” (Jer2:19). “I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me” (Hos 5:15). “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13).

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above” (PV 14:14). The backslider is a believer who knows the Gospel, has surrendered his life to Christ, but after some time decides to go away from the truth, back to the world. A silent backslider is one who continues to attend church services but, in his heart, he has gone away from faith in God’s Word. He becomes a religious hypocrite. The true backslider is the 100th sheep that has gone away from the flock. This sheep suffers many terrible things before Jesus, the Sheperd, finds her. The backslider will be filled with the ways of the world, but far from the Sheperd and the flock, he cannot find peace and joy. This is the prodigal son who eventually comes back home to his father. If “a backslider” dies in his sin, it means that he was never saved. He was only religious. God has promised to pursue, seek and find all His lost sheep and, and thru pains of repentance, He will bring them back to Him. Jesus said to His Father: “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (Jn 17:12).

This is the Bitter Harvest of Backsliding:

*Inner Emptiness. Self-chosen paths promise freedom, yet they leave the soul “filled” with rotten fruit, restlessness, anxiety, and guilt.

*Spiritual Barrenness. By distancing himself from the true Vine, the backslider forfeits the life-giving flow that produces lasting fruit.

*Bondage to Sin. What began as a small compromise becomes a controlling habit. Sin is addictive and a wicked master.

*Diminished Discernment. Persistent disobedience dulls the conscience, and hardens the heart, making it harder to recognize truth.

*Loss of opportunity for ministry and rewards in heaven. Loss of Joy of salvation. Loss of Testimony. No influence for Christ among others.

LESSONS FOR US:

*God pursues us. He does not passively wait for us to come back to Him. We don’t deserve to be found. It is all by His amazing Grace.

*God values each individual. He leaves the crowd to find one lost soul.

*God’s economy is different than men’s. Jesus risks the welfare of 99 to find one lost soul. Jesus tells men to sell all and follow Him.

*When Jesus finds the backslider, he does not punish him but carries him on His shoulders back to the fold. Jesus carries our burdens.

*Heaven appreciates repentance on earth. Jesus celebrates the salvation of each sinner. It is a communal celebration.

*Our spiritual internal state is crucial. Search your heart, conscience and motives of why you call yourself a Christian. Drifting often starts with neglected fellowship with God and His flock. This is an unbreakable principle: “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return” (Gal 6:7,8). God is just and fair, rewarding each person according to their deeds.

*Take sin’s early signals seriously! Confess and repent before the slide gains momentum. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9)

*Just as backsliders face the results of their ways, a good man will be rewarded. Stay close to the shepherd and His flock. Obey God’s Word.

*This is loving yet sobering warning: every heart moves somewhere. Choose paths whose fruit endures for eternal life! Follow the Shepherd! Worship the Lord!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD – I TRUST HIM!

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps 23:1). Psalm 23 is the most loved poem in the Old Testament. It follows The 22nd Psalm of the Cross, both written by David. He cries: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?” (Ps 22:1). He needed to feel God’s absence for him to appreciate God as his Shepherd. Many people have found faith, contentment, peace and comfort by reading and memorizing Psalm 23. The deep spirituality and the sweet poetry of this psalm are perfectly balanced. David was an experienced shepherd before becoming king. He knew the powerful relationship the shepherd had with his flock. Sheep are foolish, weak and needy animals. Without a shepherd, they surely die. The Lord is Jehovah, the I AM. It is the personal and covenant name of God. In Hebrew, the word “shepherd” is Rohi, meaning “to feed”. Shepherds are responsible for the feeding, care, guidance and protection of their flocks. This imagery is used in the Bible to describe God’s relationship with His people. “I shall not want!”- these words express a complete trust in God’s character, provision, and protection, a deep contentment and assurance that God will supply all our needs, spiritual and physical. In the New Testament, Jesus identifies Himself as the “Good Shepherd” (Jn 10:11), giving us the spiritual fulfilment we need by providing for the deepest needs of our body and soul. Apostle Paul said the same thing. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). God’s love eliminates any lack or deficiency. Your relationship with Jesus is Personal. He owns you. He is close to you, and He actively cares for you. The relationship is constant and not occasional. The verb “IS” (my shepherd) is present tense. By calling the LORD “my shepherd,” David declares personal, moment-by-moment dependence on God’s active care. The word “my” moves trust from doctrine to experience. God knows you by name. His attention on you is not diluted in the crowd. Trust is built on this foundation: “I belong to Jesus and He belongs to me, forever!” The relationship is not religion; it is an eternal fellowship. It stays active as long as you stay close and follow Jesus! By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to enter the heart of this Psalm and experience revival, fresh apape Love and days of heaven on earth. Amen!

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD! I AM THE LORD’S SHEEP. I TRUST ALL HIS PROMISES!

Because The Lord is his Shepherd, David declares that “I shall not want”. It means “I lack nothing”. I am the sheep of Jesus. I totally trust that He provides my daily bread, peace of mind, health in my body, joy and total spiritual satisfaction. I shall not want does not mean Jesus gives me luxuries. But He promises me to give me all that I need, spiritually and physically. Because Jesus, my shepherd guides, provides, and protects me, I rest in the assurance that the nothing truly needful will ever be missing. Simply said: I trust Jesus with all my heart!

Trust is foundational in any healthy relationship, with God or with people. Trust is defined as complete confidence in a person, a firm belief that someone has godly character to help you and not to harm you. That person is strong, honest, loving and dependable. Trust is the belief that a person is responsible and will do what is expected. Trust is implanted in a child’s mind during the first two years of his life. The mother is the first teacher of trust. If the baby receives love and trust, he will grow happy and hopeful trusting others. If the child is rejected or neglected during the first few years of his life, he will develop anxiety, inferiority complex, and mistrust in people. Trust is not built in a day. It grows through repeated consistency. People who trust are happy and they are skillful in making good relationships. Trust increases the quality of their lives. People who mistrust others are unhappy and slow to make friends. Trust once lost is very hard to regain.

I WILL NEVER BE HUNGRY!

“The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but He refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked” (PV 10:3; NLT). What does God provide?

1-Our basic needs, spiritual and physical “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philip 4:19).

2-Strength in weakness, emotional stability, peace, and courage. “He gives power to the weak” (Is 40:29)

3-Peace of mind. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet 5:7).

4-Spiritual satisfaction. “Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10).

5-Guidance and wisdom to make decisions. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (Jam 1:5)

6-Salvation and Eternal security. The believer is kept by God’s power. Jesus says: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn 10:28). God “denies the craving of the wicked.” Their desires remain unsatisfied because they seek fulfillment in life apart from Him. This is divine justice: blessings for obedience and frustration for rebellion.

LESSONS ON HOW TO TRUST THE SHEPHERD TO PROVIDE:

*Study the Bible. Pray that your faith becomes mature. Trust God’s promise even when resources seem small. God’s words are immovable.

*Seek righteousness through daily obedience and repentance. Practice honesty, humility and faithfulness. Expect God’s timely supply!

*Share generously; God often meets others’ needs through our hands. Love is not stingy! God rewards good deeds done for His glory! “There is one who scatters yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. 25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself” (PV 11:24, 25)

*Record answered prayers to remember His faithfulness and silence future doubts.

TRUST GOD LIKE THE BIRDS

Jesus teaches us that the Father cares for all our needs. He said: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt 6:26). Jesus uses the example of birds because it is a common sight. Birds symbolize freedom from anxiety, as they live without the concerns of human life. Anxiety means being unhappy, nervous, troubled and worrying about problems, fears about the future. In ancient societies, farming the land, sowing, reaping, and storing was essential for survival. Birds do not partake in these agricultural activities. They trust God alone for their lives. Jesus contrasts human efforts with divine care. He points at God’s care for all His creation, big or small. The words “heavenly Father” reflects a personal and relational God who is actively involved in the world. “Are you not much more valuable than they?” This question is about the value of human beings in God’s eyes. Humans, created in the image of God, hold a special place in His creation (Genesis 1:27).

In this world there are about 20,000 species of birds, all created by God. The largest bird in the world is the ostrich. It stands up to 2.7m tall and weighs over 150 kg. It cannot fly but he is still a champion. The ostrich runs up to 70 km/h. It lays the largest eggs of any living land animal, weighing about 1.5 kg each. The ostrich lives in Africa and Australia. He eats grass, seeds, and occasionally insects, lizards etc found in the Savanah. The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird. It is native to Cuba, measuring as little as 5 cm and weighing less than a coin. Often mistaken for bees, these tiny marvels have incredibly fast wing beats and feed on nectar collected from flowers.

Birds engage in everyday activity—flying, nesting, searching for seed—but they make no strategic plans for harvest or storage. Despite that, the Father continually supplies what they need; not one day the birds sleep hungry. We are commanded to “look,” to observe creation’s silent sermon and learn about God’s reliable character. Anxiety feeds on imagined futures; trust rests on the proven faithfulness of God in the present. Dependence on God is not laziness. Have you ever watched birds eating, especially in winter? It takes some effort to find the food. They don’t just sit around waiting for someone to put food in their mouth. Jesus stated clearly that God is the one who provides food for the birds. This implies that God provides for every creature. Yet, if a bird sits still, instead of gathering the food God has provided for them, they will starve. Birds have faith in God. They keep looking, obviously confident that food is available somewhere. Although they have nothing stored up for their future, they don’t worry. Neither should we. They gather daily what God provides for them. So should we.

We too must labor for our daily bread. But trusting God transforms work from anxious striving into peaceful obedience. God created Adam to work. It is true that God punished Adam for his rebellion by making him work harder. God said to him “In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life” (Gen 3:17). But work itself is not the result of sin. It was part of God’s perfect will for man. For a believer in Christ, his soul is saved, his body is healed, and his work must find purpose thru faith in Christ. Jesus compares the care of God towards birds and towards His children. He wants us to start with the lower level of birds and rise to the higher level of care for His children. God created the birds, but he is not their Father. God feeds the birds the way a human father takes care of the pets in his house. Will this father’s children worry that he will not feed them? That is impossible. The father is rich, generous and kind. Let the children have peace of mind, trust their father and be grateful to him. We can have savings accounts but not worry about the future. I don’t know if birds are thankful to God, or not. But we should be thankful. We should recognize God as the Source of all the good that we enjoy in life. Work but don’t worry! Have faith that God provides all we need to live. Seek the provision with fasting and prayers until God answers. Give thanks to God for taking care of you. SAY THIS: The Lord is my Shepherd! I shall not want! God cares for the birds, so I know He will take care of me! Thank You, Abba Father!

The birds and the animals don’t have souls. Yet, God provides food for them. So much more, God will provide for us who are created in His image and for His glory. We are called to trust in His care and provision rather than worry about material needs. Recognize your worth in God’s eyes. Trust leads to freedom and joy! Anxiety is the language of Mammon and of doubt! Anxiety about our material needs can be removed by focusing on God’s faithfulness. We must live by faith and not by sight. Trusting in God’s unseen hand is a mark of mature faith. While God provides, we are also called to be good stewards of what we have, find contentment in His provision and give Him thanks!

Finally, there will never come a need in your life that takes God by surprise. You may be surprised by sickness, by financial distress, and people’s actions, but these things are never a surprise to God. He knows the end from the beginning. He is with you through it all. He will never fail to keep all His promises. The God who knows when a sparrow falls and provides food for the birds can be trusted to deal correctly with every challenge and difficulty that we face in life and to provide for all our needs! To God be all the glory!

WHY MUST LOVE BE MORE THAN WORDS?

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth… Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]” (1Jn 3:18; NKJ, AMP). Apostle John is addressing the believers as “little children”. Possibly, they are the members of the church where he is their pastor. As their father or shepherd, he tells them to live a life of love towards each other. Love should not be just verbal, but in action, not performance but a lifestyle of practical help for one another. Like faith without works is dead (Jam 2:15,16) so claiming to love without doing good deeds is useless. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their religious pride and a total lack of compassion towards the needy. Love must be seen in our deeds, must be sincere and grounded in truth. Our actions should align with God’s truth as revealed in Scripture. Our motives for doing anything must be pure and God-honoring. Love “rejoices in the truth” (1Cor 13:6). This genuine and humble love manifested through helping others is a sign of spiritual maturity. The way we love others profoundly impacts our communities. By loving in action and truth, we become a testimony of God’s love to the world!

Visible Love proves genuine Faith. Action proves that you are not a hypocrite like the Pharisees. The world recognizes Love by what they see, not by religious slogans. Love reflects God’s nature: God did not love only in words, but in action. He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Love is shown at the Cross. Jesus did not faint. Jesus died for our sins. Active compassion keeps our hearts soft and purifies the hearts. Visible Acts of love bless the giver and the receiver. Pray to be sensitive and identify genuine needs in your family, church and community. Partner with others for a greater impact. Unity magnifies Love’s visibility. Love encourages us to do more for God. It silences the accuser of the brethren by showing visible good fruit. It builds the fellowship. Love gives glory to God and is rewarded eternally! Remember, words matter, but deeds give words credibility. When Love moves from tongue to the hands, heaven’s culture shows up on earth, Christ is exalted, and hearts—ours included—are changed for good, forever. Worship the Lord!

JEHOVAH ROHI – THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD (Psalm 23)
The word “Rohi is the Hebrew word for “shepherd.” Jehovah is God’s personal name in Scripture. So, Jehovah Rohi means “the Lord Is My Shepherd.” It is one of God’s many names in the Bible. The word “rohi” comes from a Hebrew root word meaning “to feed”, meaning a shepherd who feeds his flock. The image of God caring for us like a loving shepherd cares for his sheep is one of the most familiar and loved pictures of God in the Bible. Each of God’s names brings a revelation of God’s character. Elohim is the Creator. Jehovah is the God of the covenant. Jehovah Rapha is the Healer. Jehovah Jireh is the Provider. And so on… These names are all powerful, but none touches the believer individually like Jehovah Rohi, The Lord is my Shepherd. As a Shepherd, God cares for me, leads me, feeds me, protects and heals me. In good times and bad times, I know beyond every shadow of doubt, that I am not alone and God is with me to the end of my life. I am His sheep and He is my Shepherd. I am covered by His Love forever. Knowing this is the greatest encouragement that I can have. Selah!
Psalm 23 is the best-known example of Jehovah Rohi, describing God as our Shepherd. King David, the author of this psalm, had himself been a shepherd as a young man, caring for his father’s flocks. He knew from personal experience how vitally important it is to the safety and well-being of the sheep to have a good shepherd who would care for them even if it meant putting himself at risk of losing his life. David killed a lion and a bear that was attacking his flock (1 Sam 17:34-36). Drawing on his personal experience as a shepherd, David wrote this psalm to teach us important truths about God. We must experience God personally if we are to fully know Him as our Shepherd who cares for us and provides all we need. A good shepherd endures cold, heat, sleeplessness, tiredness and danger in caring for his sheep.
If God is our Shepherd, it means that we are His sheep. “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps100:3). This is a command, to “know” that the Lord (Jehovah) is God, above all so-called gods. Jehovah is God’s name meaning “I AM”, the personal covenant name of God. Jehovah is the sovereign, eternal and unchanging God. He is our creator. Because “He made us” He has authority and ownership over humanity. God is like a potter, and humans are the clay (Isa 64:8). God is shaping and forming us individually. “We are His people”. We belong to God who created us for Himself, in a personal relationship with God. In the Old Testament, Israel was chosen to be a holy nation (Deut 7:6). In the New Testament, all believers in Christ are called “a chosen people, a royal priesthood” (1Pet 2:9). In Christ, we are a community of believers as God’s chosen people. We are “the sheep of His pasture”. The Church is called The Flock, the Body or the Bride of Christ! Selah!
Jesus is Jehovah Rohi. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own… I lay down My life for the sheep” (Jn 10:1-30). Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Bible says about Jehovah Rohi—our Shepherd: He cares for us. He leads us in paths of peace and righteousness. He seeks and saves His lost sheep. As the Good Sheperd, Jesus fulfils this image by laying down His life for His sheep. No matter how often or how far we wander away, Jesus will always keep searching for us. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He died, that we might live forever. And He is coming again to take us to heaven so that His sheep will be with Him forever. Amen!
Lessons: Because the LORD is God, He has ultimate authority and power in our lives. As believers, our identity comes from our relationship with Christ, thru God’s Word and by the power of God’s Spirit. We are created by God and belong to Him. That gives us purpose and value. As His people, we are called to live in obedience and trust, reflecting God’s character in our daily lives. Like sheep, we must rely on God’s guidance and provision, seeking His will in all circumstances. Being part of God’s flock means we are not alone; we are part of a community that supports and encourages one another in love and faith. It is our duty and privilege to attend a local church, serving God there. Stay with the flock! Study God’s Word and apply it daily! Choose paths that keep sight of the Shepherd. If a choice takes away your emotions and time away from Christ, it leads toward weeds, not pasture, towards danger and not safety. Following Jesus is the only way!
Unfortunately, just as sheep do not always follow their shepherd we, too—God’s sheep—have failed to follow Him. We often wander away. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:6). Knowing that we are the sheep of God’s pasture practically affects our lifestyle and decisions. For example, about finances: Knowing that our Shepherd supplies all that we need, fear of poverty and love for material things goes away. We have enough money to tithe for God’s work and to pay all our bills. We work hard trusting God to bless and multiply our finances. We do not steal or cheat at our working place, because our Shepherd provides, defends and rewards our faithfulness. We guide our family based on God’s Word and not on the ideas of tradition or social media. If a believer is always worried about money, it means he is backsliding away from the Shepherd. Daily pray for wisdom asking God: “Where is the green pasture for my family?” Following Jesus thru His Word applies to all our daily decisions in marriage, parents, Christians and servants of God. We obey God’s command and choose to rest from labor to serve God during the Sabbath. That rest proclaims that we trust in God’s care. The Sheep that ignores rest forgets the Shepherd’s design. In case of problems, we pray. We do not retaliate in the flesh but allow the Shepherd to intervene and proclaim justice for us. Amen!
THE VALUE OF RELATIONSHIPS
God is a Trinity, three Persons in One: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They have an eternal relationship of LOVE and Trust with each other. God made man “in His image and His likeness” (Gen 1:26,27). That means man was created to be a spiritual being and to have an eternal loving and personal relationship with God and with other people. Selah!
A relationship is a continuing and often committed association between two or more people, as in a family, friendship, marriage or partnership in which the participants have some degree of influence on each other’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. People in a relationship spend time together, help each other and are emotionally connected. As with other relationships in life, the spiritual connection between the pastor (the shepherd) and members of the congregation (the sheep and the lambs) must be characterized by trust, warmth, respect, and understanding of each other, for the glory of God and for the good of all.
Relationships are very powerful. Imagine if you removed every connection from your life. Life’s very purpose would seem to disappear. Relationships give life meaning and create a sense of belonging. Without a relationship with someone, most would have little reason to live. It’s no wonder God created Eve for Adam; even with a relationship with God, he needed a human companion. Marriage between a man and his wife is the most intimate relationship man has on earth. Love is not lonely and is not selfish! Love needs another to love.
What was Jesus’ secret as a Lover of men, as a Friend of sinners? “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1Pet 2:21-23). Jesus is the best Lover and Friend, the Master of relationships. The reason why Jesus never failed in His relationships with God and men is because He was free from sin!!!
What is sin? It is breaking of God’s Law and breaking of God’s heart. Separation and Divorce happen because of sin, and the hardness of hearts (Matt 19:8). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). We are born selfish, greedy, lazy, and jealous of others. Sin unites us in a hopeless world. Sinners cannot love. Love is found in Christ alone. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you” (Isa59:1,2). Sin separates us from God and breaks our relationship with one another.
Sin is not just a breaking of God’s law. It breaks God’s heart. This very personal and emotional description helps us see that God does not see sin only as a moral failure; He sees it as a heartbreaking cause of distance in the relationship He longs to have with us. God’s grace is the only solution to be able to love God and one another. Free from the distancing effects of sins like prejudice, self-righteousness, pride, judgmentalism, bitterness, envy, and jealousy, Jesus looked past social and emotional barriers to see the true value and deep spiritual needs of every soul. He consistently broke through cultural, ethnic, and religious divisions that separated Him from others. Study the way Jesus related to different people, rich or poor, the Samaritan woman, Martha, Mary, the sinful woman who anointed His feet, the rich young ruler, Pontius Pilate and all His disciples. He never made mistakes in relating to these difficult and broken people. He loved them and challenged them to learn how to love. Let us pursue relationships intentionally; isolation denies God’s design. Let us invest in vibrant quality friendships and church fellowship upholding God’s “good” verdict over our lives. The more we look to Jesus, the more we can identify and remove the hindrances in our own marriages and relationships. We can build an inspiring friendship with God, and we can become a true friend who changes other people’s lives for better in incredible ways. May God help us! Worship the Lord!

YOUR NAME IS OINTMENT POURED FORTH

The Song of songs is a unique Book in the Bible. It is a collection of poems describing the power, beauty, and romance of agape love in marriage. Romance is defined as the feeling of excitement and mystery associated with passionate love, that touches body, soul and spirit. The mystery of love brings the element of the unknown, of that which cannot be totally controlled or understood by men, the divine interference of heaven in the love story on earth. Agape love is like wine, making you emotionally happy and high. Its baptism of fire changes you forever. This Song is also a symbol of the love between Christ and the Church. ‘All the Scriptures are indeed holy, but Song of songs is the Holy of holies’ (Rabbi Aquiva). This book is not a historical or doctrinal book. It is a song. Songs do not touch the mind, but the heart. When you hear a song, you “feel” something; it is hard to explain. There is no book in the Bible that has more power to reveal agape love, to draw us closer to Jesus and to ignite revival in our hearts and marriages! Song of songs helps us to live happy lives, joyful marriages and ministries. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2Tim 3:16,17). It rebukes our sinful thinking about sexuality, marriages and relationships in general. We need love to be “complete” and work God’s work. None can sing this Song except he has experienced the Love of loves, God’s love in Christ.

In Song of songs, we have a glimpse of how marriage could have been in the perfect Garden of Eden. Like in the Book of Esther, the name of GOD is absent in this Book. But God is there, behind the scenes because “God is Love” (1Jn 4:8). Song of songs is like ointment poured out from Mary’s alabaster box. Its fragrance fills the whole house (Jn 12:3). This Song reveals the glory of marital love. The Love described is the ideal love in a marriage between a man and a woman. Here we see a satisfied husband and his completely loyal and happy wife. This revelation destroys two errors; extreme ideas related to marriage and sexuality: monasticism and sexual immorality. Some churches believe that a priest should be celibate to become holier than other men, thinking that sexuality in marriage is a hindrance in knowing and serving God. That is an error. In the Old Testament, marriage was accepted by all as a gift from God. All the patriarchs were married.

In the New Testament, things are a little different. The idea is introduced that some Christians choose to stay unmarried to better serve God. Jesus was not married. Apostle Paul was not married. Singleness is God’s gift; it is not a punishment. If singleness is your choice to serve God, that is good. To be a spiritual eunuch by God’s calling, that is ok. Both marriage and singleness are gifts from God. One is not better than another. But marriage is God’s choice for most people. In fact, the Bible is a manual for marriages. God created and married Adam and Eve (Gen 2:18-24). In Revelation, we see the wedding of the Lamb, when Christ marries His Bride, the Church (Rev 19:6-10). Apostle Paul tells us that the marriage between a man and a woman is a picture of Christ and the Church (Eph 5:22-33). Christ died not only to pay the penalty for our sins, but to re-instate His Kingdom, and to marry His Bride, the Church. Glory to God!

There was a woman who came to worship Jesus (Lk 7:41-50). She was called “a sinner”. Possibly, she was a prostitute. All the men knew her. Some may have used her body. She entered uninvited into the house of Simon, a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner. Simon was rich but did not love Jesus. He did not give water to Jesus to wash His feet, did not greet Jesus with a holy kiss and did not give Him oil to anoint His hands. But this woman, a sinner saved by grace, did all these things. Out of the gratitude in her heart, she worshipped Jesus openly and without shame. Jesus publicly declares that she is forgiven. Men may reject the Kiss of worship. But Jesus freed this woman from the bondage of sin and sent her home in the power of His Love! For the children of God Jesus is and will always be our “First and Forever Love”.

“Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore, the virgins love you” (SS 1:3), In ancient times, perfumes and fragrant ointments were highly appreciated and very expensive. They were used for religious and social purposes. Only the rich people could afford them. The Bridegroom has a special fragrance. It shows His beauty, His high social status and spirituality.

The name represents the personality, reputation and character of the person. The Bride is attracted by the handsome body of her Groom, but more so, she loves His Character. The name of Jesus is exalted above every other name! The admiration of the young women, the virgins, shows the communal recognition of the Groom’s qualities and beauty. Spiritually, this is interpreted as the Church’s response to Christ’s love and sacrifice. True love and virtue are openly recognized and celebrated by others. “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev 19:7,8). Glory!

A godly husband is a Leader, a Laborer and a Loyal Lover. The wife is not her husband’s neck. She does not control him. A godly wife is the crown of her husband. “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband…” (PV12:4). The virtuous wife is faithful, hardworking, wise, humble, loving and has a spirit of excellence. As his crown, the godly wife contributes to her husband’s economic status and reputation in the community. He helps him to be a leader and the head, the pastor of their home. Amen!

“Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph 5:2).

Agape Love is sacrificial, unconditional and pleasing to God. It is the lifestyle of believers in Christ. Jesus commanded us to love God and love one another just the way He did it (Jn 13:34,35). He is our Teacher and Standard. Agape love was manifested through His incarnation, ministry, and sacrificial death on behalf of sinners. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8). Salvation is by Grace alone, not based on merit but purely by God’s initiative. Jesus “gave Himself for us”. This was His choice. As the good Sheperd, He laid down His life of His own accord for His sheep, for us, sinners saved by His Grace. The death of Jesus on the Cross was a fragrant offering made to God. The sacrifice was very expensive. No man can buy it. We now worship Him forever!

In the Old Testament, the burnt offering was a clean animal, killed by the priests and totally burnt on the altar. The smoke goes up to be “a sweet aroma to the Lord” (Lev 1:9,13,17). The sacrificial smoke symbolized complete surrender and devotion; nothing was held back. Only prescribed animals, grains, or incense could be offered. God decided what smells are “pleasing” to Him. The smoke and the aroma rose upward, showing that fellowship between God and worshiper was restored. This fragrant offering showed that God has accepted the sacrifice and He was pleased with it. Spiritually, this shows that God loves our obedience and true worship. Lessons: just like Christ died on the Cross, we must “present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is our spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). We must spread “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2Cor 2:14-16). The Gospel of Christ influences and changes all who encounter it. Studying the Scriptures and knowing Christ personally help us spread not only information, but His heavenly fragrance, His sweet-smelling Grace and Eternal Life. The perfume of Christ is unique and powerful. It cannot be hidden or ignored; all believers testify to it. To resist such a perfume means death. As believers we spread the fragrance of Christ thru our holy character, truthful words and deeds of love.

Corporate worship, prayer and praise release this fragrance. “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Ps 141:2). Endurance without grumbling in trials, faith displayed under pressure produces a powerful scent. Sin cannot be hidden. It is a stench. “Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give off a foul odor; so, a little foolishness [in one who is esteemed] outweighs wisdom and honor” (Ecc 10:1; AMP). Wisdom and honor are like perfume. Like little yeast changes a lot of flour, so little foolishness negatively affects character and reputation. One little careless word, a single lie, one secret sin that becomes public, these have the power to damage the testimony of many years of faithful living. The public remembers the stench much longer than the sweetness. Lessons: stay close to Christ. Study and obey His Word. Keep your heart pure. Always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. If you sin, repent immediately! Surround yourself with faithful brethren. We become the fragrance of Christ thru surrendered lives, with lips praising and hands serving. This is continual evidence that the smoke of worship rises and pleases the Father! Amen!

Lessons: before being attracted by his outward beauty or his wealth, a wise woman chooses a man of character, a man who fears God. If she wants to marry and everybody says he is a bad man, and only she thinks he is great, something is wrong. It is not enough to say that you love someone. The foundation of marriage is based on godly character. Pray and submit to the counsel of older believers. It is very easy to make mistakes in choosing a marriage partner. This applies also to the men who decide to marry. Fast and pray before proposing to a woman to marry. Be sure that the woman has a godly character. True love comes with respect for one another. Respect and trust must be earned. Good character and holiness are very attractive. “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates” (PV 31:30,31). Let the Holy Spirit lead!

THE NAME OF JESUS

Jesus Christ Himself is God. He is omnipotent. Just before He ascended to heaven, the resurrected Christ told His disciples: “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt 28:18; AMP). The power of Jesus is universal, covering the spiritual realm (heaven, angels, spiritual realities) and the natural realm (on earth, human beings, all rulers, nations and natural laws). The authority of Jesus is over death and the grave. This authority is not newly acquired but it is now manifested to men thru His resurrection. It is the basis of evangelism and all ministries done in the name of Jesus. This power is “given to Me”, from God the Father. It is settled, final, and uncontested. It reveals the completion of Jesus’ earthly work, His obedience unto death, and His exaltation, showing Jesus as the only mediator between God and humanity and His position as Head of the Church. Jesus’ authority assures us of His ultimate victory over evil and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. His authority is not partial. There is nothing outside His authority. It applies to everybody, not only to the Christians. Every knee must bow to Jesus Christ! His commands are non-negotiable standards of behavior. For example, God’s Word says: Love God and Love one another! These are commands and not suggestions. Practically, His authority influences whom we date, and marry, avoiding unequally yoked relationships. It applies to our finances: our wealth belongs to Jesus. We remember to faithfully tithe and give offerings to the local church we attend or to ministries that feed us spiritually. This is a proof that we recognize the authority of Jesus over our money and lives. We avoid everything that does not give glory to God. This authority gives us identity and confidence. We belong to Jesus, the One whose rule cannot be challenged. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Jesus’ authority is given to believers thru His name. We pray and do spiritual warfare in His name. Every demon is subject to Christ. Thru the Cross, Jesus “having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:15). Preach the Gospel with courage! Be not afraid of men. Stand firm in your faith!  Declare victory against any rival, spiritual of physical. “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev 11:15).

Some people ask, “why is the name of Jesus so important?” The name stands for His Person. Try to imagine a world where nobody has a name, not even a number, the way prisoners are called. You must call someone as “Hey, you…” This is hard. In that world there is no value, no love, and no respect given to Persons. There is no way to praise a nameless person. It will be a world of confusion and depression. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam to name all the animals. He even gave Eve a name. That makes communication possible. Lesson: pray hard before giving names to your children. It connects with their destinies. The name “Jesus” was given to Mary by God. It has the power of heaven. Jesus is not a private person. He is to be known all over the world. People call His name in prayer and praise Him publicly and loudly. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col 3:17).

“The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:19-23).  “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). God commands us to praise Jesus’ name: “My name might be proclaimed in all the earth” Salvation is in Christ alone. “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 9:17; 10:13). Jesus!!!!!

Before the Cross, Jesus told His disciples: “Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete” (Jn 16:24; AMP). This shows the transition between two spiritual seasons. Up till now, the disciples depended on the physical presence of Jesus to give them guidance, comfort, protection and to provide for them. Soon, Jesus is going to heaven. He gives them His name as a credit card to use in the heavenly bank. They must learn how to use the name of Jesus, just like He was here with them. Faith is the password. Prayer in the name of Jesus assures us that God will answer our prayers when done according to His will. Praying in Jesus’ name is not a formula but a declaration of faith in His authority and alignment with His will. Jesus says that our joy is made complete when we see God’s hand at work in response to our prayers. Jesus invites us to ask, with faith in Him, indicating that God desires to hear from us and He responds to our needs and desires. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray.

WHY DO WIVES TAKE THE NAME OF THEIR HUSBANDS?

Women traditionally took their husband’s last name because of coverture, a legal concept in English law where a married woman’s legal identity merged with her husband’s, placing her under his “cover” or authority. This law was applied mostly in England and America. The wife loses her identity, and the husband has almost all the power. The wife’s property and earnings become her husband’s. She could not enter contracts, sue, or be sued in her own name. A married woman was like a child. Her husband was her legal guardian, controlling her assets and representing her in legal matters. The Feminists fought this law for many years. Eventually, they won the case against coverture. The Married Women’s Property Act 1882 in the US said that the wife’s wages and her inherited property belong to her. The abolition of coverture is seen as “one of the greatest extensions of property rights in human history” and led to positive financial and social impacts.

In Nigeria, unlike in England under coverture, a married (Ibo) woman can independently own property if she acquires it with her own money. However, she needs her husband’s permission to accept property as a gift from others or use credit to buy property. This is because similar with the law of coverture in England, the husband is responsible for his wife’s debts and legal obligations. There are also instances in which a wife’s property belongs to the husband, no matter what. For instance, if a woman receives a kola nut tree, it belongs to the husband, and he may harvest it for his own benefit. Colonial courts In Nigeria created official laws that prevented women from exiting a marriage with properties other than her clothes and kitchen utensils. During the traditional marriage, the Nigerian woman physically leaves her native community to join her husband’s family. This concept shows that the wife is absorbed in her husband’s identity. To preserve bloodlines, Nigerian women face barriers to inheritance within their birth families. Since women leave their homes and are absorbed into their husband’s family, women are not allowed to carry family property to their new home. After the wife dies, the husband inherits everything. This aligns with the English view of coverture. The wife’s identity and property are absorbed by the husband.

Despite historical origins, about 80% of women today still choose to take their husband’s last name. Some women have chosen to keep their fathers’ names and add their husbands’ name. Others decided to create a new name together. Because of sin, these laws are all selfish. Spiritually, once we become saved, we are called Christians. We die to the old life and identity. We now belong to Christ forever. We lose our lives to gain Christ. This is the greatest gain any person can have in this world and in life eternally.

OUR TESTIMONY AS A HAPPILY MARRIED COUPLE – THE FLAME OF LOVE IN MARRIAGE

“Many waters cannot quench the flame of love, neither can the floods drown it. If a man tried to buy it with everything he owned, he couldn’t do it” (SS 8:7). My husband and I have been happily married for almost 50 years. We are parents to three adult children and have six grandchildren. I see marriage as a gift from God. Because I fear God, I fear to damage my marriage. I cannot be a happy wife without the help of the Holy Spirit. I daily read the Bible. I grow in wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, our marriage becomes better, sweeter.

I pray daily for my husband, for our children, grandchildren, our health, our ministries and wisdom to handle our finances. I pray to see Christ in my husband (in his words and deeds). I love that peace reigns in my home. I hate quarrels and divisions. I respect my husband not only in my words and deeds, but even in my heart. I pray to be able to see him not just as my husband or the father or our children, but as my pastor, as a holy man of God. My prayer has been answered. Christ has simplified my life. I first love Jesus and secondly, I love my husband. I do not even dream about another god or another man. Even after all these years, I appreciate my husband’s love for me. I appreciate the fact that out of millions of women he chose me to be his wife. What a wonderful love story!

I have ‘a kitchen ministry’. I like to cook for him and serve his food. I like it when he is hungry and he sits at the table waiting for me to bring the food. We always pray before each meal. I like it when we eat together and we “gist” about daily activities, the plans for the day, and share prayer points. I like to wake up in the morning knowing that he is my husband. I like to ask him, ‘what do you want to eat for breakfast?’ His answer makes me happy! Sometimes he likes Nigerian breakfast, and other times the ‘oyibo’ style. I may fail a catering exam, but he likes the food I cook for him and that is all that matters to me! At the table, he has his own favorite chair. If a visitor comes and by mistake sits there, I will not allow it. I will gently tell the visitor to use another seat. My husband has his own favorite plate. It is old but he likes it. I do not use his plate to serve other people. These may not be ‘big things’ but to me, these are symbols of respect.

Long ago I knew that he will be a man of God. I started studying the Bible with great passion. The knowledge of the Word of God is for my own soul and to help my husband in his ministry. I love it when we discuss doctrines and revelations from the Bible. I love it when I have something good to add to the discussion. We are friends and lovers. We rejoice with one another. Time has not reduced this joy. In fact, it has made it better. The water has now become sweet wine. We drink it and have no apologies for our intoxicating love. The passion to love God and one another is the holy fire that continues to burn in our home. No man or devil can quench it. It is to the glory of God that we are not religious hypocrites. In our home there is genuine salvation, peace and joy of the Holy Ghost! Glory to God! Worship the Lord!

SONG OF SONGS – MY HEART IS AWAKE  

“I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. (To His Friends) Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones!” (SS 5:1). The Song of Solomon is a prophetic love poem describing how King Solomon fell in love and got married to a beautiful simple girl. It is a picture of passionate marital love. Spiritually, it describes the love between Christ and His Bride, the Church. The Groom is called The Lover, and the Bride is called The Beloved. Their relationship is pure, romantic, deep, intimate, and loving as with family members. Please read Chapter 5:1-9.

The Song of songs is one of the least understood books in the Bible. Most Christians just ignore it. But because the Holy Spirit placed in the Bible, we must pay the price to study it. King Solomon is the author. The Book is a collection of love poems. They describe the romantic passionate love between King Solomon and a simple beautiful girl called Shulamite. The poems can also be applied to romantic love in a happy marriage, like when water turns to wine. Spiritually, it describes the Agape Love between Christ, who is the Bridegroom and His Church, who is His Bride. The Jews read this Book only once a year in their synagogues. They do it so that their love for God does not become lukewarm, legalistic, routine, forced. They do it to add romance and spices to their religion. Pray that the Holy Spirit opens your understanding and appreciation the greatest Love of all! This is the Gospel: Jesus died and rose again for me! Jesus is My First Love!

He said: I came to my garden! It is His garden. Her heart is his garden. Like Garden of Eden, it is a beautiful place with colorful aromatic flowers, a place of encounter between God and man. The Lover gathers spices; each is a symbol or something deep and spiritual. The gathering or myrrh and spices shows Christ’s delight in the richness and fragrance of His relationship with His Bride. It is based on His sacrificial love. Myrrh is a fragrant resin used for religious purposes. It was a very expensive item, often worth its weight in gold. Myrrh was one of the ingredients for making the holy anointing oil signifying its role in consecration and holiness. Myrrh was also used as perfume (Esther 2:12) and for embalming the dead (John 19). The wise men brought myrrh to baby Jesus, a prophetic gift predicting Jesus’ sacrificial death (Matt 2:11). In the Bible, myrrh is often associated with suffering and death. It was used during the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Spiritually, myrrh means sacrifice, worship, and anointing with the Holy Spirit. It is a reminder of the cost of redemption.

Honey symbolizes sweetness, spiritual nourishment and dreams come true. Milk is a symbol of nourishment for spiritual growth. The Promised Land was “a land of milk and honey”. Wine is a symbol of celebration in general and in the wedding feast and marriage in particular. The Groom invites his guests, his friends, to eat and drink at the wedding feast. It shows that weddings are celebrated in the presence of others. The food and the drink are in abundance. The Bridegroom is extremely happy and generous to all. Spiritually, this sweet food and celebration is found only in a relationship with Christ. Your heart is the Garden of the Lord. He is never far. He freely comes into the gardens of our hearts. He receives our worship and rejoices in it. Grace is always abundant, overflowing to guests and friends. Each morning be sure that your heart is always open to Him, to come and collect the fruits of the Holy Spirit. No stranger should be found in that Garden. It is for Christ alone! Tell others how sweet your life in Christ is, from the overflowing cup of His Saving Grace.

The Bride sleeps and at the same time, her heart is “awake.” It shows physical rest and spiritual alertness. As believers, we live in this world, but we are not “of this world”. We hear the voice of Christ in our hearts. My heart is awake. It is ready to respond to the voice of Christ, day or night. The Groom knocks at my heart. Christ is outside the garden, by the gate of your heart. He strongly desires to enter. His love is persistent. Christ loves the Church. Christ loves you! The knock is in the night. There is opposition from forces of darkness. He had to fight them to come to you. He calls the Church “My sister, My love, My dove, Me perfect one”. This shows an intimate relationship, like siblings in a family, but also romantic and special. The Church is the Dove of Christ. Christ sees you pure and perfect. Christ died and rose again so that His Church will be holy. “He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:27). On earth, Christ’ love must be reflected in the husband’s love for his wife.

The head of the Groom is covered with dew. This shows blessings. In Isreal, rain is rare. Between May and October, there is no rain. The temperature rises above 42 degrees Celsius. The place is dry and hot. Dew comes in the night, at the places that need it the most. The dew supplies the water needed for the plants to grow. The dew does not “fall” from the sky like the rain. Dew is mysterious water produced by plants as they cool down after a long hot day. Dew is a symbol of the Holy Spirit that gives spiritual life to men living in the desert of sin. Dew comes quietly. There is no noise, no force, no thunder, like with the rain. When the Holy Spirit comes to our hearts, we may not feel anything, but our spirit is quickened. We become alive with the life of God. When the heart is dry and tired, the heavenly Dew comes and brings the much-needed revival. Dew is like a love medicine ready to restore backsliders. It is a sign of revival, of hope.

“I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?” Before going to rest in bed, the Bride washes her feet and takes off her robe. The robe is a symbol of covering and protection from the temptation of the world. It can also be a sign of status, like Joseph’s robe. Removing the robe means detaching herself from the duties of leadership in the world. The bride is reluctant to dress again and go outside to work. She prefers to rest on her bed. There is a tension between duty and comfort, the voice of good against the best, between the desires of the flesh and of the spirit. She knows that the Bridegroom is calling her to a higher level of spirituality, even when it is inconvenient. She must pay the price to be like Him. She must share in His sufferings. Lying on her soft bed, she struggles with that. Human nature resists changes and disruption once she is settled. Washing your feet is an act of humility. Getting out of bed means getting your feet dirty again. That requires a new washing of the feet. The Groom is humble. Humility is His lifestyle. But for the Bride, practicing Humility is not easy. That is why she grumbles in her heart.

“My beloved put his hand by the latch of the door, And my heart yearned for him… My beloved extended his hand through the opening [of the door], And my feelings were aroused for him” (SS 5:4; NKJ; AMP). The Lover takes the initiative of love. He puts His hand by the latch of the door. The latch is an iron rod pushed into a hole to keep the door closed. It is for protection. The Beloved wants to open the door and see His bride. The Lover’s touch of the latch is a gentle invitation to a deeper relationship with her. He loves her. He is patient with her. He waits to see her response. Lying on her bed, she hears the Groom. Her heart starts to pound for Him. This is a deep emotional and even physical reaction to his Love for her. Spiritually, in God’s presence, our very soul is stirred and responds to God’s Love.

Initially, the Bride was not sure if she could love as she is loved. She knows that Her Groom loves her sacrificially. He is ready to die for her. She has some doubts whether she is ready to love like this. Eventually, she decides to answer the call to carry her cross and follow her Beloved. She rises from the bed of comfort and goes to the door. This time, she does not care if she must take her robe again, or if she must wash her feet the second time. These sacrifices look small compared with the excitement of seeing her Beloved. Her hands drip with liquid perfumed myrrh, overflow of love and devotion. She now has the same fragrance as Him.

“I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer”. Finally, the Bride opens the door for her Lover. He did not want to force entry. Christ wants us to open our hearts to Him. At the door, she discovered that he had gone away. This shows missed opportunities, the effect of spiritual negligence. She was too slow to come and open the door. There were doubts and grumblings in her heart. She took His love for granted. She has made him sad. “My heart sank at His departure… My heart was pounding…”  This is deep disappointment, feeling of loss, regret, anxiety, desperate longing to find Him. She goes out to look for him. She calls Him, but there is no answer. This shows the soul’s seeking God, for a closer fellowship. God sometimes hides Himself. He keeps silent. This is a picture of Grieving the Holy Spirit. There is need for repentance, praying for mercy, and seeking God afresh. It does not mean that God has abandoned us. He wants us to repent from spiritual laziness and infatuation with material comfort. He wants us to desire Him again. We must seek God with faith, perseverance, and thru fasting and prayer until we find Him afresh. Go back to the Bible. This is revival. It is also a warning against spiritual complacency and procrastination. We know that even in times of silence, the covenant of Love between Christ and the believer stands forever. If we seek Him with all our hearts, we shall find Him. Lessons: obedience must be instant, joyful and total. Delayed, grumbling and partial obedience are counted as disobedience. It grieves the Holy Spirit, and it dulls intimacy. Keep seeking when He feels distant. You must press into Scripture, worship, prayer and fellowship. Remember past experiences of His faithfulness, because remembrance fuels hope. Trust His steadfast love and not your fluctuating feelings. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples’ disappointment turned to burning hearts when He revealed Himself (Lk 24:21,32). True love acts quickly when it hears the Lover’s voice.

“The watchmen who went about the city found me. They struck me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me”. The desperate Bride takes the risk and goes out in the night, looking for her Lover. Instead of help, she meets trouble. She is beaten, stripped, humiliated. In pursuing deeper intimacy with Jesus, the devil will try to stop you. You may encounter unexpected resistance. The watchmen are supposed to keep order, security and peace, especially at night. They represent the civil authority or religious leaders who misunderstand or oppose righteous zeal (seen in Paul’s clashes with synagogue leaders). When seeking for God or for justice, how must we behave? Refuse bitterness. Love your enemies. Pray for them. Lean on Jesus! Draw even closer to Him, as the Bride did! The picture of being beaten is a symbol of Jesus who was wounded for our transgressions. It shows the cost of sacrificial love. The watchmen took away her veil, her clothes, her covering. Being naked on the streets is a sign of rejection and humiliation. In our spiritual walk, we feel exposed and vulnerable, yet these moments lead to deeper reliance on God. This is another picture of Jesus, crucified naked in the pursuit of Love. The men who represent the government authority cannot protect believers who seek for Jesus. There is always danger of misusing the power given to them. God remains the ultimate protector for the oppressed and humble. This calls for perseverance and faith.

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, Tell him I am lovesick!” The “daughters of Jerusalem” are women of the city, represent the audience, who witness the story of the Bride seeking her Groom. Love is not only personal. Especially loving Jesus. It also has a public demonstration. In our spiritual journey, community plays a vital role in helping and guiding us. The Bride is charging the women to find her Beloved. It is a deep and serious request. Her lovesickness is not sentimental; it is spiritual, physical, emotional, and urgent. Asking others to “tell him” assumes that the Beloved will respond. True spiritual longing anticipates an encounter. That is faith! This shows the importance of communication in any relationship. Learn to confess your need and your pain to others. Let them pray for you. To be “lovesick” is a consuming passion like fire in the heart. This emotion is so strong that it affects the body and the soul. “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God” (Ps 42:1; NLT). The intensity of this love reflects Christ’s love for the church, who died to save her. Learn to Cultivate lovesickness: set apart undistracted time with the Lord until the soul notices His absence. Tell Jesus: “Lord, I miss You!” This seeking and finding is the romance of Christianity, the dance only true lovers of Jesus can learn. Worship the Lord!

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption… And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption… And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin]… Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free [from the world of sin]” (Eph 4:30; NKJ, NLT; AMP; GOD’S WORD TRANSLATION)

God the Holy Spirit can grieve. This is the revelation of the Bible. The word “grieve” means to feel deep sorrow, pain, or great sadness, especially at the death of someone who was very dear. Grieving the Holy Spirit is peculiar to Christianity. No other religion tells you that their god grieves. This is a reminder that the Holy Spirit is a Person. A thing cannot be sad, only a person can grieve. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. He is tender as a Dove. God has humbled Himself to come to our level. He can be grieved by us. This is a fact: Men can disappoint God, their greatest Lover. When we forget this, we fall into so many troubles. The Holy Spirit can be grieved only by believers. We grieve Him with our sinful thoughts, words or actions; by failure to realize that He is in us, and by ignoring Him when he speaks. He can be hurt by our unwillingness to Love as we are loved. Anything that is not holy grieves the HOLY Spirit. Our heavenly Comforter can be made sad by our sins!!! Because the Spirit empowers us in the sanctification process, grieving Him hinders spiritual growth and fellowship with God.

When you grieve the Holy Spirit, you do not lose your salvation. A seal is a seal! But there are many great losses. By grieving the Holy Spirit, the Christian loses his peace, his assurance and joy of salvation. He loses his spiritual power. For example, if you pray, it will be a very weak prayer; you will not prevail with God. When you read the Bible, you shall not be able to gain revelation. When you go to the house of God, you feel bored. You feel like Samson when his hair is cut, lost, weak, captive, and blind. Let the Holy Spirit depart, and assurance is gone, doubts, questionings and suspicions are aroused. Usefulness in ministry will cease. Your ministry shall yield no fruit; your words will fall to the ground. There is spiritual confusion, lack of direction. Because your protection is gone, demonic attacks increase. Worship the Lord!

JEHOVAH EL QANNA DEFEATS DAGON

The Philistines, having captured the Ark of the Covenant, brought it into the temple of their god, Dagon, in Ashdod, one of the five major cities of the Philistines. Dagon was the chief deity in the Philistine religion, often associated with fertility and harvest. It was a statue, half man and half fish. They believed that Dagon was the father of Baal. Placing the Ark beside the statue of Dagon was a deliberate act to show that the God of Israel was now submitting to Dagon. But despite the Ark being captured, God remains sovereign and will demonstrate His power over all false gods and idols. The next day, they found Dagon on the ground, symbolic of Dagon’s submission and defeat before the Ark, which represented the presence and power of the God of Israel, Jehovah El Qanna. Foolishly, the Philistines return Dagon to its place. They try to maintain their religious beliefs despite the clear sign of their idol’s impotence, just like today, people resist acknowledging divine truth. This shows how useless it is to worship idols. Nobody can defeat God! God always wins! (1Sam 5:1-12; 6:1-21; 7:1,2)

“I have sworn [an oath] by Myself, The word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance]” (Isa 45:23; AMP). God swears by Himself. This is the highest form of an oath. God is sovereign over all creation. Once God speaks, the Word is final, unchangeable and always accomplishes His desires and “succeeds in the purpose for which it was sent” (Isa 55:11). Lesson: we should preach God’s Word with confidence knowing that He is faithful to perform His Word. This is a fact: Every knee shall bow before God! All creation must submit to God’s authority. God’s Kingdom will ultimately prevail. Amen!

Early the next morning, the Philistine priests came to the shrine of Dagon. They were impatient to see what happened. But they were deeply disappointed. The image of Dagon was fallen again, prostrated before the Ark. The breaking of Dagon’s head and hands signifies the complete powerlessness and defeat of the idol. The threshold of a temple was considered a sacred boundary. The fact that Dagon’s head and hands were found on the threshold symbolize the desecration of the Philistine temple and the impotence of their god to protect it. Lessons: The fall of Dagon illustrates that no false god can stand before the true God. As believers, we need to totally trust God who defeats all opposition. God allowed His ark to be captured by the enemies because of the rebellion of His people. But God is totally in control even when the situation seems hopeless. We must trust and worship God alone!

The priests and the worshipers of Dagon refused to step on the threshold of Dagon’s shrine after the incident. It shows a superstitious fear and acknowledgment of the power of the God of Israel even after many years since the incident. The Philistines showed respect and feared Jehovah God, even if they did not worship Him. Lesson: God’s presence always causes chaos among the powers of darkness. We should always invite God in every situation, knowing that He has the power to transform everything for His own glory and for our good. This is a reminder that we the believers, should never take God’s presence for granted, should fear and honor the God of our salvation.

“But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory” (1Sam 5:6). The hand of the Lord means power over His creation. The word “ravaged” means severe destruction. God punishes the Philistines for touching and disrespecting the Ark, a symbol of God’s presence among His people. The word “tumors” is the same as painful boils or hemorrhoids. Jehovah God is not only the God of Isreal, but He is the Creator and Judge of all. Lesson: This is a warning not to treat God’s things with disrespect. God’s presence brings blessing to those who honor it and judgment to those who dishonor Him.

“The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed” (Deut 28:27). One of the curses of disobedience is painful sicknesses that doctors cannot cure. The boils of Egypt are God’s punishment on the Egyptians when they refused to submit to God. Because of the boils, the magicians could not stand on their feet before Moses (Exo9:9-11). The same punishment that God gave to the Egyptians, is now given to His people who are disobedient to Him. Only God can heal spiritual and physical ailments. The fact that no doctor can cure shows that God has removed His favor from His rebellious people. Nothing else than repentance can bring healing and peace. Under the law, obedience to God’s Word was followed by blessings and disobedience attracted curses. In Christ, we find redemption from the curse of the law, showing the importance of faith and grace in the New Covenant.

The Ark was captured by the Philistines because of Isreal’s disobedience. But despite their initial triumph, the Philistines quickly realized that the Ark was not a mere trophy but a source of divine judgment. The decision to remove the Ark shows the fear and respect that even pagan nations have for the God of Israel. They decided to move it to the next Philistine town, to test if the calamities will follow the Ark. They did not understand that the Ark is not just an object like their idols, but the dwelling place of Almighty God. They underestimated its significance. Lesson: God cannot be controlled or manipulated by men. He is sovereign overall!

The Philistines had five major city-states: Ashdod, Gath, Ekron, Ashkelon, and Gaza. They moved the Ark from Ashdod to Gath, which was the native city of the giant Goliath. The Ark caused great destruction and confusion even in Gath. All men in the city, rich and poor, old and young, were affected with an incurable painful disease. Next, they sent the ark of God to Ekron. The cry of the Ekronites shows that they recognized the power associated with the Ark, despite their lack of faith in the God of Israel. This fear is similar with the terror that fell upon the inhabitants of Jericho where the fame of God’s power preceded the Israelites (Josh 2:9-11). The Ark, a type of Christ, symbolizes God’s presence and the dual nature of His coming—bringing salvation to believers and judgment to those who reject Him. Selah!

Suffering terribly, the Philistines finally decided to send the Ark back to Israel, recognizing that it did not belong among them. They became afraid of Jehovah El Qanna. They saw that wherever the Ark goes among their cities, it brought deadly destruction and confusion to all. This shows God’s active role in the events, His authority and the consequences of opposing Him. The cries of the Philistines reached God, showing His awareness of human suffering, even among those who do not know Him. God is sovereign over all nations and attentive to the affairs of the world. Lesson: God responds to the outcry of suffering. God is a God’s justice. He is the judge of all Creation.

The rulers of the Philistines asked their priests on how to return the Ark of God back to Isreal. They now knew that the Ark is central to Israelite worship, representing God’s presence among His people. They knew that they have offended the God of Isreal. They decided to send it back to Isreal together with a trespass or guilt offering. According to the Law of Moses, the trespass or guilt offering is described in Leviticus 5. This offering was required when a person unintentionally violated some of the Lord’s holy things, anything that was dedicated to God, like the sanctuary, or the priests. These are some examples of trespasses: by mistake, a man eats the food of the priests, he makes a vow to God, and he forgets to perform it, eats the first-born animal from his own flock (because that one belongs to God). The offender must bring to God an unblemished ram and compensate the priests by adding 20% of its value in silver. The Philistines were not under the Mosaic Law. They tried their best to repent and ask forgiveness from the God of Isreal, so that the plague would end among them. They now knew that Jehovah God is holy and none should treat Him with disrespect. Recognizing their sins, the priests recommend that they bring an offering to Jehovah. It was made of five golden tumors, symbolizing their sicknesses and five golden rats, a symbol of destruction through poverty and famine in their land. Gold is an expensive metal showing their desire to honor Jehovah God. Lesson: When we sin against God or man, we must repent, forgive and do all we can to make peace with the offended person. The events demonstrate God controls all nations, not just Israel. This trespass offering point to Christ, who died to bring forgiveness to sinners and reconcile man to God.

The Philistines remembered what God did to Pharoah and the Egyptians when they opposed God and His people. They asked themselves: “why do you harden your hearts like Pharoah? He eventually let God’s people go!” This hardening is both a result of Pharaoh’s own choices and a divine judgment, illustrating the connection between human free will and divine sovereignty. The eventual release of the Israelites by Pharaoh shows the futility of resisting God’s will. Despite his initial stubbornness, Pharaoh ultimately capitulates to God’s demands. The Egyptians’ experience is a warning of the dangers of opposing God. Lesson: we must guard against hardening of our hearts towards God.

The Philistines’ use of a “new cart” signifies respect and reverence, ensuring that the cart was not previously used for ordinary purposes. This reflects the biblical principle of offering God the best and the first. Milk cows are cows that have recently had calves. These cows are typically not used for pulling carts. Cows that have never been yoked symbolize purity and a new beginning, like the unblemished animals required for sacrifices. This instruction was a test to see if the cows would act contrary to their nature. If they did, it would confirm that the calamities the Philistines experienced were indeed from the God of Israel. Separating the cows from their calves was a further test of divine intervention. Naturally, the cows would seek to return to their calves, but if they proceeded towards Israel, it would be a sign of God’s hand at work. This separation can also be seen as a type of sacrifice, where something valuable is given up for a greater purpose, ultimately pointing to Christ’s sacrifice. Lesson: God is in control over all creation, including animals, to fulfill His purposes.

The cart with the Ark came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh. This was a Levitical city located in the territory of Judah, near the border with the Philistines. It was one of the cities designated for the priests, which is significant given the context of the Ark of the Covenant’s return. The Ark’s return to a Levitical city shows the importance of proper worship and reverence for God’s presence. The large rock, a symbol of stability, was also a memorial. It served as a natural altar for the offering. The stopping of the cart at this specific location is divinely orchestrated, indicating God’s control over the situation. The priests used the wood from the cart to light a fire. They killed the two cows and offered it as a burnt offering, to honor God. Burnt offerings were entirely consumed by fire, a symbol of total dedication to God, an act of worship. This is a symbol of Jesus Christ, who offered Himself wholly for the atonement of sin on behalf of sinners. When the Philistines saw this, they returned to their country. It was the end of the Philistine experiment with the Ark, acknowledging the power of the God of Israel. Lessons: God is sovereign over all nations. He has the power to defend His honor without human intervention.

God struck down and killed seventy people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the Ark. These were Jewish men, not foreigners. According to the Law, only the high priest could approach the Ark, only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, carrying the blood of the sacrifice. Looking inside the Ark was a direct violation of God’s command. This incident shows the holiness of Jehovah El Qanna. It is God’s judgment upon those who disrespected the Ark. This was God’s Law: The ark was to remain covered. Even the Kohathites, appointed to carry it, were forbidden to “touch or look upon the holy things, lest they die” (Num 4:20). To look inside the ark, the men had to lift the cover called “the Mercy Seat”. Without God’s mercy, all sinners die. The men treat God’s presence as a common thing. Overfamiliarity with God’s things is a sin. Lessons: Holiness demands reverend distance. God actively defends His holiness. As worshipers, we have a great responsibility to treat God with honor and respect. The incident calls every generation to approach God on His terms, honoring His holy presence with obedient, respectful, and humble hearts. We must fear God and respect God’s things. While God is just in His punishment, His actions also serve as a call to repentance and a deeper understanding of His nature. We must learn from the mistakes or others, how to worship God! This story also points to the ultimate judgment of sinners and the need for atonement, based on the perfect future work of Jesus Christ, who provides the way for humanity to approach God through His sacrifice. Worship the Lord!

WHOM ARE YOU SEEKING? I AM HE!

This is a very painful story (John 18:1-13). After praying the High Priestly prayer, Jesus, followed by eleven of His disciples, goes to the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas has already gone to the Pharisees and agreed to betray Jesus, for 30 silver coins (about 400,000 Naira). A band of Roman soldiers with weapons follows Judas, who will identify Jesus with a kiss. The cooperation between Jewish and Roman authorities shows the worldly opposition to Jesus. A detachment (or cohort) of troops was made of about 500 Roman soldiers. Just imagine how many people came to arrest the Prince of Peace!!! The presence of weapons shows a misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission. Everything that happened was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The use of lanterns and torches shows that it was nighttime. Lessons: Judas’ betrayal reminds us of the pain of being betrayed by those close to us. We must examine our own faithfulness to Christ. Be prepared for opposition in your own walk with Christ. You are the light of the world, preaching the Gospel in the spiritual darkness of the world.

“Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” (Jn 18:4)

Jesus knows all the things that will happen to Him. This shows His Omniscience as God. Jesus said: “When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Lk 22:53). The “hour” refers to the appointed time for Jesus’ arrest and subsequent crucifixion. It signifies a divinely ordained moment when God allows the forces of evil to act, fulfilling the plan of salvation. This phrase acknowledges the temporary authority given to Jesus’ enemies, according to God’s permissive will. It also reflects the fulfillment of prophecies about the suffering Messiah (Isaiah 53). The power of darkness shows the spiritual forces at work behind the physical events of Jesus’ arrest. “Darkness” symbolizes evil, sin, and separation from God, contrasting with Jesus as the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12). The power of darkness refers to Satan’s influence and the spiritual battle between good and evil. This moment is a culmination of the conflict between Jesus and the forces of evil, as foretold in Genesis 3:15, where the serpent’s head would be crushed. Despite the apparent victory of darkness, it ultimately leads to Jesus’ triumph over sin and death through His resurrection. Halleluiah!

Jesus willingly submits to arrest, suffering and crucifixion. As the good Sheperd, He lays down His life for His sheep. He tells the people to arrest Him and let His disciples go away. His stepping forward shows His courage and willingness to face His destiny. His proactive approach is in great contrast with the disciples’ fear and confusion. This act fulfills His earlier declaration that no one takes His life from Him, but He lays it down of His own accord (Jn 10:18). It also reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament types, such as Isaac willingly carrying the wood for his own sacrifice (Gen 22:6). Jesus asked them: “Whom are you seeking?” By this question, Jesus takes control over the situation showing His authority even in the face of His arrest.

“Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (Jn 18:6). Jesus said: I AM! This is the name of Jehovah. It shows that Jesus is God. Suddenly, the 500 Roman soldiers, with their lanterns and weapons, who came to arrest Jesus, drew back and fell to the ground. This unplanned response shows the authority of Jesus’ words and His control over the situation, even as He submits to arrest. It was a moment when the light shone in the darkness. The soldiers thought that they came to arrest an ordinary man when they are confronted with God’s presence. The act of falling to the ground can be seen as a physical manifestation of reverence or fear in the presence of divine authority. In the Bible, falling to the ground is often associated with worship or recognition of God’s presence. This involuntary act by the arresting party shows the power of Jesus’ identity and the fulfillment of His mission, when “every knee will bow at the name of Jesus” (Phil 2:10). Lessons: Judas’ betrayal, though evil, is used by God to accomplish His redemptive plan. We find comfort in knowing that God can use even the darkest moments for His glory. Jesus’ calm and authoritative response in the face of arrest is an example for us to remain steadfast and courageous when facing trials and opposition. Never forget the power and the authority found in the name of Jesus! Worship the Lord!

JEHOVAH EL QANNA – THE JEALOUS GOD

In Hebrew, El Qanna means The Jealous God. The root idea in the Old Testament word ‘jealous’ is “to become intensely red or hot like fire”. It refers to anger, how rising emotion colors our face when we are angry, when someone very dear to us is threatened. God is zealous and eager to protect what is precious to Him. This jealousy compels God to pursue us relentlessly, no matter how hard we try to hide from Him.

“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exo 20:3). This is the first of the Ten Commandments. God’s jealousy protects His relationship with His people. Idolatry is not just discouraged. It is completely forbidden. Worshipping idols, breaks the covenant relationship between God and His people. Idolatry always brings God’s judgment. “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Ex 34:14). This command was spoken on Mount Sinai as God renews the covenant after Israel’s sin of worshipping the golden calf. God insists that He alone must be worshipped. God does not accept any rival in His people’ hearts. God hates and always punishes idolatry. This is a manifestation of His Holiness. His jealousy guards what is rightfully His, our exclusive worship, because He alone is our Creator and Redeemer. The pagan nations worship many gods. Often, God’s people fell into the sin of idolatry. Each time that happened, God’s jealousy manifested as anger. He then punished His people. The name “Jealous” means that God is passionately committed to His covenant relationship with His people. He is faithful to them, and He expects the same from them. Selah!

“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another” (Isa 42:8). God’s jealousy manifests as Protecting His Name and Reputation. God’s name reflects His character and must remain uncorrupted. God’s jealousy protects His glory, ensuring that worship centers on the One worthy of it. His glory and our good converge only as we worship Him with all our hearts. In Christ alone we find life, identity, joy, peace and purpose. God’s jealousy is part of His character. It is not like human jealousy, which is selfish, based on fear and insecurity. God’s jealousy is holy and righteous. It is a protective seal for His people and His glory, a manifestation of His uncompromising Holiness and Love. God knows that only in an intimate relationship with Him people can live in peace and prosperity, able to fulfill their destiny. At the same time, God’s jealousy is a warning to His people about the consequences of idolatry and unfaithfulness. Selah!

“Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut 4:23,24). Divine jealousy defends His glory and our good simultaneously. The image of God as a consuming fire serves as a warning of the consequences of disobedience. While God’s consuming fire represents judgment, it also signifies His presence and protection. As believers, we are encouraged to live in obedience to God’s commandments, understanding that His discipline to the backslider is an expression of His love. God’s jealousy comforts us knowing that even when we go astray, He will not abandon us to the enemy. “God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies” (Nahum 1:2). God’s vengeance is a response to injustice and sin. It assures us that God will ultimately right all wrongs, providing comfort to those who suffer under oppression. We are called to trust in God’s timing for justice. While we may not see immediate retribution, we can be assured that God will act according to His perfect plan. Understanding God’s character as avenging and wrathful should lead us to repentance and a renewed commitment to live in obedience to Him.

We are not perfect and no matter how hard we try, we can never be holy enough to come into God’s presence. That is why our God, El Qanna gave us Jesus. He died on the cross so that His blood could pay or atone for our sins. God did all this for us because He is jealous for you and me and provided a way for us to come into His Holy presence. Jesus Christ is Jehovah El Qanna. He loves His Bride with passionate love and calls for undivided loyalty from His followers. He said: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). God demands exclusive worship because He alone is worthy. Idolatry is a betrayal of the covenant relationship with God. Just as God is faithful to His people, He calls us to be faithful in our relationship with Him, avoiding spiritual adultery. Idolatry can take many forms today, including materialism, career, relationships and self-focus. We must guard our hearts and prioritize God above all. Selah!

WHAT IS HUMAN JEALOUSY?

Jealousy is a complex emotion that involves feelings of anger toward another person. It arises from a perceived threat to a valued relationship, such as a partner giving attention to someone else. It is like envy, but not the same. Both jealousy and envy indicate that a person is covetous of something that another has. Jealousy involves the wish to keep what one already has. Envy wishes to get what one does not have. Jealousy refers more to relationships. Envy applies more to other things. Both Envy and jealousy manifest as anger, loneliness, inferiority complex, and bitterness regarding the circumstances of life. Jealousy manifests as fear of loss, suspicion or anger at perceived betrayal. Jealousy hinders spiritual growth by turning one’s focus away from God and onto the perceived success of another.

Distinguishing Godly Jealousy from Sinful Jealousy:

*God’s jealousy is motivated by love, righteousness, the desire to protect what is good. Human jealousy arises from fear of loss or pride.

*God’s jealousy is rooted in His perfect holiness. It is never stained by sin or selfishness. Human jealousy is destructive and manipulative.

*God’s jealousy desires exclusive worship and covenant faithfulness. Human jealousy arises when personal comfort or status is threatened.

Pagans also say that their gods demand loyalty and punish betrayal, but they lack the righteousness and covenant faithfulness found in the God of the Bible. God’s holy, loving jealousy stands out as unique among all religions.

In Nigeria, there is a form of spiritual oppression called “spirit husband” who attaches itself to a female, and “spirit wife” who attaches itself to a man. These are emotionally manipulative demons. They hinder marriages between a man and a woman. The conflict can end in divorce. They hinder financial breakthroughs. The victim experiences poverty, anger and depression for no good reasons. Deliverance is necessary for complete freedom.

Spiritual Ramifications of Human Jealousy:

*Jealousy Disrupts Fellowship. “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice” (Jam 3:16).

*Jealousy obstructs Prayer. We must forgive others when we stand praying (Mk 11:25) A heart corroded by jealousy struggles to pray well.

*Jealousy destroys health of body and mind. “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (PV 14:30)

*Jealousy hinders Spiritual Maturity. Jealousy keeps the focus on self instead of on Christ. It stops growth in grace, wisdom, and love.

Agape Love does not envy (1Cor 13:4), but it is very jealous of us! Faithfulness to God is expected from us! Selah!

PRIEST PHINEAS – EL QANNA’S AMBASSADOR

Read Numbers 25:1-18. This sad story happens just before entering the Promised Land. The Midianite and Moabite women invited the men of Isreal to come and serve their idols, and they seduced them sexually. In the pagan religions, sexual immorality is often connected with idolatry. Every temple had its own male and female prostitutes. The worshippers believed that by having sex with one of the temple’s priestess or servants, they become one with the idol who will then bless them. This is called “harlotry”. This act of spiritual adultery shows wicked ungratefulness in the hearts of Isreal’s men. God has just saved them from Balak, the king of Moab, who hired the false prophet Balaam to curse them to death. Thru sexual sin, Isreal now worships Baal of Peor, the main Canaanite pagan god of fertility. He was the controller of rain and thunder, therefore of agricultural harvests. They worshipped him with human sacrifices or temple sex. He was competing with Jehovah God in the hearts of God’s people. That provoked God to anger and jealousy and punished the people.

To this point in the whole story of the exodus, Israel has sinned in many ways. They grumbled, and complained, not being grateful for God’s generous provision. They worshipped Yahweh in a false way, claiming an image of a golden calf could represent Him. They sinned by their unbelief, refusing to trust God and His promise to enter the Promised Land. But before this, they had never openly worshiped another god. This was a sin of idolatry unlike any previously seen in the exodus. Enticing the people of Israel to idolatry through sexual relationships with pagan women was such a powerful temptation that even captured Solomon, Israel’s king famous for his wisdom (1 Kg 11:1-10).

“So, Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel”. The Lord’s anger is a manifestation of Him as El Qanna, the Jealous God. The false prophet Balaam tried to curse Israel and could not. Instead, by the inspiration of the LORD, Balaam blessed Israel and cursed her enemies. Yet now, at Baal of Peor, the blessings change into curses. God gets angry. He sends a plague and 24,000 of God’s people die. What the enemy could never accomplish against Israel, Israel did to itself by disobedience. The same principle works today. The mightiest attack of Satan against us can never do as much damage as our own sin and rebellion against the LORD. Satan’s violence and witchcraft can have no lasting influence on the believer; but if he can lead him into sin, he can experience untimely death.

God always judges sin, especially idolatry. It was a public judgment (Nu 25:4,5). The punishment was death by hanging. To Isreal, hanging is a terrible disgrace, a curse. God commands the leaders of each clan to identify the men who had sex with the Moabite women and worshipped Baal, and to kill them. It was a severe punishment because idolatry is a serious sin. When sin such as this is tolerated or even approved in a culture, it is a sure sign of destruction. The LORD, speaking through Moses, would not accept that sin. He commanded the community (the leaders and the people) to bring the offenders to be judged, to show they would not accept this kind of sin in their midst.

As Moses was rebuking the people, and the people were weeping and repenting before God, an Israelite man called Zimri brought a Midianite woman called Cozbi inside the camp. Zimri means Remembrance. Cozbi means Deception. Both were leaders in their respective families. They showed no sense of fear of God, no respect for Moses, no compassion for the many who were weeping and those hung for their sins. Hand in hand, in the presence of all, they went into his tent. Suddenly, Phineas, the grandson of Aaron, the High priest, took a javelin, entered the tent and with one stroke, he killed them together in the very act of fornication. When Zimri and Cozbi openly displayed their fornication, most people became frozen. But Phineas was a man of action. He acted boldly and punished them. He was jealous for God. His anger was a mirror of God’s anger and hatred against sin. The name “Phineas” means “mouth of brass” showing his courage to punish sin.

Phineas was a priest and a gate keeper. “And the Lord was with him” (1Chr 9:19,20).

One of the functions of the priests was to protect God’s presence in the tabernacle. Anyone who trespassed close to the tabernacle, was to be killed. This was to protect the holiness of the presence of God. Priest Phineas protected God’s presence and Name!

Once Phineas killed these two sinners, the plague stopped. But already 24,000 people died during the plague. We often think that one man cannot stop the waves of sin in a community. But God can use one man’s righteous response and passion to defend His name. This is the lesson we take from Phineas. “One with God is the majority” (John Knox). Phineas is a symbol of Christ. Thru death he killed death. But the difference is that Christ did not kill anyone to atone for men’s sin. As the Great High Priest, He willingly laid down His life to save sinners. In the eyes of men, Phineas could be seen as a murderer. But in the eyes of God, Phineas is a hero. God vindicates and honors him. It was not only Phineas’ obedience to the law that God noticed. It was especially the motive of his action. God said that Phineas was “zealous with My zeal among them”. This was a true identification with God as El Qanna. Phinehas was passionate about the things God was passionate about. In this situation, Phineas faithfully demonstrated the zeal of God against Israel’s unfaithfulness to their covenant with God. God promises him that he and his descendants will have an everlasting priesthood. God blessed Phineas with the promise that he would be the descendant of Aaron through whom the priesthood passed. The Blessings of Jehovah Shalom, God’s Peace, became his inheritance.

The resurrected Christ rebuked the Christians in Pergamum. He says: “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality” (Rev 2:14). Balaam loved money. When he could not curse Isreal because God was protecting them, he counselled Balak to send Midianite women to temp the Israelite men to sexual sins and worship of idols. Balaam said something like this to Balak: “I cannot curse these people. But you can get them to curse themselves by tempting them to rebel against their God. Send your most seducing girls among them. Tell them to tempt the men of Israel to fornication and idolatry.” It worked. Finally, Ballam got the money he wanted. He wanted to die well, like God’s people. He said: “May I die the death of the upright, And may my end be like his!” (Nu 23:10). He enjoyed his sinful money only for a short time. He ended up dead among the enemies of God, disgraced forever (Num 31:7-8). Selah!

With the death of the 24,000, the whole generation of the original rebellious people is gone. At last, God was now ready to take the new generation into the Promised Land. Finally, for seducing them to worship Baal, God commands Isreal to attack the Midianites. They totally defeated them in war. Many women were captured in war. God said that they should kill these women (Nu 31:15-18). Only the virgin women of Midian survived their defeat and were taken as wives by the Israelites.

Lessons from Phineas:

*Learn what God loves and what God hates. Phineas did what God could have done in that situation. Learn to please God and not man!

*Be courageous! Courage is the capacity to control fear and do something that is right, but it is difficult, dangerous and unpleasant.

*Be zealous for God! Zeal is a strong emotion, passion, and enthusiasm that leads to action.

*The javelin that Phineas used is a symbol of The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17). Fight lies with the Truth!

*God responds with Mercy and heals the nation once sin is destroyed in the land!

*God rewards courage and zeal for His name with peace and spiritual blessings upon your descendants! Amen! Worship the Lord!