RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

The Ministers of gods "Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you. For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things." — Philippians 3:17-19 "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." — 2 Timothy 4:3 The way things appear today, I begin to wonder whether becoming a Church Minister entails any sacrifice, cost, or sacred calling at all. The Scriptures remind us in Jeremiah 23:1 — "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" — declares the LORD. Yet such shepherds multiply in our day. ...

 When You Blindly and Ignorantly Obey the Devil's Bidding "My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path. But watch out, and don't be tempted yourself. You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand." — Galatians 6:1–2 We are living in a precarious age. An age marked by breathtaking technological advancement, astonishing scientific discoveries, and the rapid expansion of human knowledge. Technocrats and scientists continue to unlock mysteries that once seemed impossible. These developments are remarkable and worthy of admiration. Yet, alongside these achievements come profound challenges for humanity. One of the most troubling realities of our time is that sin has become increasingly normalized. What was once regarded with fear and moral caution has now been trivialized and, in many circles, openly celebrated. Sin has been so demystified that many no longer recognize its d...

 When Correction Becomes a Taboo “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.” — Galatians 2:11 In recent times—particularly in a case involving a certain pastor in Nigeria who inscribed tattoos on his body—there has been serious outrage within the Christian community against such conduct. The heated arguments aired publicly are of considerable concern. While I am not stepping into the arena as a debater, what truly baffles me is the response of the concerned pastor and some of his reactions to the outrage. These responses raise several pertinent questions: 1. Has correction become a taboo in the Christian body? 2. What is the standard of measurement for spiritual ranking? 3. What is the meaning of “local” and “international” pastor? 4. Are pastors above correction and discipline? As earlier observed, the said pastor tattooed his body, and many Christians—and others—were of the opinion that this is not appropriate for a man of Go...

 IT IS TIME TO MOVE “The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain.’” — Deuteronomy 1:6 It was the Lord Himself who nudged the Israelites to move away from Horeb. But what was so peculiar about Horeb that made the Israelites almost turn it into their new home—as though it were the Promised Land? At Horeb, the Israelites experienced: 1. The manifest presence of God through thunder, lightning, fire, smoke, earthquake, and the audible voice of God (Exod. 19–20). 2. The giving of the Ten Commandments and the wider covenant laws (Exod. 20–23). 3. The appointment of elders, judges, and delegated authority to assist Moses in leadership (Exod. 18; Deut. 1:9–18). 4. Instructions concerning the Tabernacle, sacrifices, priesthood, and holiness (Exod. 25–31; Leviticus). Horeb was an entirely new and overwhelming experience—a place where the people encountered the God of their fathers in a fresh and distinct way. They became so absorbed and carried...

When the Church Becomes a Personal Heritage “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 When I was growing up as a school child, it was very common to see company signboards with inscriptions such as Ade & Sons Ltd or Bola & Sons Enterprises. The simple interpretation was that such companies or business enterprises belonged exclusively to the person and family indicated. The business was the sole property and right of the named family. As I grew older, this idea gradually gave way to public liability companies, where many people became responsible for the running of a business through the purchase of shares. However, the idea of sole proprietorship has taken a new and troubling dimension within the Church, where leadership and executive control are treated as the exclusive right of the founder and his progeny. The claim to Levitical pr...

 (Focused Prayers for 2026) “I am the Commander of the LORD’s army.” — Joshua 5:14 The Israelites were in the process of healing at Gilgal after they had been circumcised—a prerequisite for being counted as God’s covenant people. Their next enemy was Jericho: a fortified, well-structured, and powerful city. Humanly speaking, there was no way they could confront such giants in their weakened, recovering state. They could not even muster the strength to fight. At this critical moment, the Lord sent help—a Commander of God’s army. Not just any angel, but a Commander. He came to lead the battle and secure victory for Israel. What followed was a remarkable march of victory over Jericho, achieved through a divine and unusual strategy that produced a resounding triumph. Let us pray: 1. Lord, please reveal Yourself to me as the Captain of my life. Help me recognize that You are in absolute command. Let this understanding dispel my fears and deepen my trust in You. 2. Father, in my weak and...

The children of Israel entered the Land of Promise as a united body of twelve tribes. They needed that unity to reach the land, but once they arrived in Canaan, each tribe had to take possession of its own inheritance. What you take is what you get. At this stage, collective effort was no longer enough—every tribe needed to claim and secure its portion for future generations. God had already given clear instructions regarding what must be possessed: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off... I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” — Exodus 23:23, 27 The command was simple and decisive: cut them off—destroy the inhabitants. Only then could Israel fully possess the land and live free from intimidation. The battle for possession be...

 The Defender of Faith What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?   1 Corinthians 1:12-13 Apostle Paul wasn't just a preacher of the good news but he was a defender, contender, and apologist of the Christian faith. Undoubtedly, Paul was greatly helped by God. He was the least of all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9) but he laboured more than them all—a case which he attributed to God's grace: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10. As a result of his immeasurable exploits (one instance is when he went to heaven and heard language that cannot be related to men—2 Corinthians 12:1-5), church members became divided over who should e...

 The children of Israel came into the Land of Promise as a conglomerate of twelve tribes. They needed unity to reach that point. But once they arrived in Canaan, each tribe had to take possession of its own inheritance. What you take is what you get. At this stage, collective effort would not suffice—each tribe needed to claim and secure its portion for future generations. God had already given clear instructions regarding what must be possessed: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off... I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.” — Exodus 23:23, 27 The command was simple and decisive: to cut them off—to destroy all the people. Only on this basis could Israel take full possession of the land and be free from intimidation. The b...

 The Church as a Business "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's BUSINESS?" (Luke 2:49) "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this BUSINESS." (Acts 6:3) "Not slothful in BUSINESS; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." (Romans 12:11) Recently, I was discussing with a brother who has a stationery store in the city. I asked him to expand his business across town because he has enough materials to equip three to four stores at a time. He told me he has been prayerfully working on this proposition and that his major constraint is the personnel to manage the business. The people out there have no mind for business progress but rather ulterior motives for enriching their pockets. So, rather than planning his own untimely death and heartbreak, he would prefer to manage a shop than to have others that would ste...

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; [23] they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations was written by Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC to the Babylonians. The fall of this city was a consequence of the sinful life of the people of Israel and, most importantly, the many prophetic warnings from Jeremiah himself. The Babylonians were among the most heartless and ruthless imperial leaders the Israelites had to endure. Once they conquered a city, they deported everyone and brought in foreigners to take over their lands. At one point, the people came to Jeremiah to seek the counsel of the Lord. This is recorded in Jeremiah 42 and 43: - The military and tribal leaders, the priests, and all the people—from the least to the greatest—sought Jeremiah’s guidance. - In verses 5 and 6, they told him they were ready to obey whatever instructions the Lord gave, whether pleasant or not, and that God should hold them accounta...

So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron. Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. (Genesis 37:14, 18) How could Joseph have known that his brothers hated him so much? In his heart, he loved them and cared about them. When his father sent him after his brothers, the instruction was, "GO AND CHECK THE WELFARE OF YOUR BROTHERS." Even his father knew that Joseph had an undying love for his brothers. Joseph wandered in the wilderness and was not at peace until someone could direct him to where the brothers were grazing the flock. That was a reflection of his loving heart. Conversely, when his brothers saw him from afar, they did not see a loving, tired, and wandering brother. What they resolved was: "LET'S KILL HIM." Indeed, they carried out their evil intention by selling Joseph i...

 THE BIRTH THAT HERALDS THE TERMINATION AND DEATH Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;   Matthew 2:1-3 Aren't you wondering why the mighty king Herod of the invincible Jerusalem was petrified by the announcement of a newly born king? Why would the birth of a new baby, 'supposedly' to be a king, unsettle a king who has such great feats and commands respect from within and outside his domain? What did Herod conceive in his mind that made him lose control of his spirit? This was a king whose disposition affected his entire domain. When he was troubled, the whole of Jerusalem turned into an abyss of confusion. Not a single citizen could express joy at the sadness of Herod. This was a king who...

I woke up this morning reading a lot of social media posts about the selected dates and days for the ORO festival in the part of the country where I live. ORO is a secluded cultic 'religious' activity. Traditionally, it involves mature males and initiated participants. Women are forever banned from witnessing it, except for hearing it from inside (ETI L'OBIRIN FI NGBO OHUN ORO). Nobody reveals the activities in public. You keep what you see and know to yourself. Nobody exchanges pleasantries about what happened the day before in public. During this time, men do all they can, including appearing like the first Adam in the garden. The absence of women grants men the freedom to engage in reckless behavior. A few days ago, I was shown a TikTok live coverage of an ORO festival in a certain part of the country. Oh! What a sacrilege. An abomination, you would say. It is anti-tradition and a taboo. But that's the world we live in. Nothing seems to be hidden anymore. Smartwatche...

 Along the way, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered Jesus a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when He tasted it, He refused to drink it. — Matthew 27:32 It was a challenging time for Jesus: although He was on the way to rescue mankind from the damage caused by the devil and evil, He was subjected to despicable pain from torture and eventually had to carry His own cross, enduring excruciating pain. Even at this point, the most heartless soldiers could see that the cross was becoming unbearable for Him. They knew there was no way He could reach Golgotha bearing the cross alone; so, they compelled another man to bear the cross for Him. The cross. The challenges. The greatest attacks and ridicule. The gang-up and evil plans. The betrayal and abandonment by trusted associates—all these are seriously unbearable. No matter how strong a person is, such c...

 The Purpose of Pain 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NLT "Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Pain, from a personal perspective, is something that alters or moderates our lives. Sometimes it leads to utter destruction; in other cases, it leads to redirection. Pain is not pleasurable. Our lives are conditioned to be at ease and to enjoy the beauty of life. However, when pain sets in, some of it is natural and arises from...