RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" — Romans 8:31 One word in this verse deserves careful attention: if. No faithful Bible translation, regardless of its theological perspective, removes this conditional word. It reminds us that the certainty of our victory rests upon one indispensable reality: God must truly be with us. We must never live on the assumption that God is with us simply because we profess His name or engage in religious activities. Rather, we should seek the assurance of His abiding presence through a life of obedience, faith, and fellowship with Him. There is a tragic danger in presuming upon God's presence. Scripture records the heartbreaking account of Samson: "He awoke from his sleep and thought, 'I will go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him." (Judges 16:20) These are among the saddest words in the Bible: "He did not know that the LORD...

 My Expedition in Life “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” — Romans 8:29–30 Some years ago, while I was serving in the Methodist Church Nigeria in Lagos, my mother came to visit me. She walked quietly through the beautiful apartment provided for her son. Her face reflected joy and satisfaction at the path of ministry I had chosen. As she sat down to eat the meal I prepared for her, the Holy Spirit impressed something strongly upon my heart. I suddenly said to her: “Mummy, I am not yet where I ought to be.” She looked at me in surprise. She wanted an explanation, but honestly, I could not explain what I meant. At that time, I myself did not fully understand the weight of those words. But about two or three years later, I resigned from my work with the church and moved fully into missionary work a...

 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” — Romans 8:29–30 During our study of the Epistle to the Romans in our local assembly, we arrived at this passage. I felt uneasy approaching the subject of predestination because of the many arguments and controversies surrounding it. I prayed earnestly that God would grant me understanding so that even the simplest person in our village congregation could grasp its meaning. As I pondered and prayed, two passages of Scripture came strongly into my heart. First: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:5 God spoke firmly to Jeremiah. It was as though He was saying: “I did not create you by accident. I knew you before you were formed. I invested grace into you...

FROM DEATH TO LIFE “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” — Romans 8:28 In our previous study, drawing lessons from Matthew 20:1–16, we concluded that God, in His infinite mercy and sovereign generosity, is able to bless the last just as much as the first. And when the first murmur and complain against His dealings, He can reduce the first to the position of the last. Heaven’s economy does not always follow human calculations. For the Scripture says: “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” — Romans 9:15–16 Likewise, Solomon observed the mystery of life under the sun: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to me...

 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." — Psalm 51:10 King David, in his prayer of repentance, asked God for the creation of a clean heart. He did not ask for a repaired heart, a modified heart, or a slightly improved heart. Instead, he cried out for a divine work of creation. David understood that the corruption within him was too deep for mere adjustment; he needed God to do what only God could do—create something entirely new. The heart was especially important to David because it was the very basis upon which God chose him as king: "And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfil all My will.'"— Acts 13:22 God looked beyond David's appearance, abilities, and social standing. He looked directly into his heart—its disposition, receptivity, and willingness toward God—...

 "So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat... Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD." — 1 Samuel 1:7,10 The birth of Samuel was not an ordinary birth. Samuel emerged from what appeared to be an impossible situation. His story reminds us that when God opens what He has closed, no power can stop His purpose. The Bible clearly states: "But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb." — 1 Samuel 1:5 Hannah was not childless because she lacked a womb. She was not suffering from infertility in the ordinary sense. Her womb existed, but it was shut. The issue was not absence but closure. What she needed was not replacement but divine intervention. Many people today are in a similar situation. Their destinies are not destroyed; they are temporarily delayed. Their opportunities are not absent; they seem inaccess...

 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28 In our previous study, we examined how God overturned the wicked plans of Joseph's brothers and transformed what was intended for evil into an enduring testimony of victory, influence, and leadership in a foreign land (Genesis 50:20). We also considered the remarkable story of Solomon's ascension to the throne. Humanly speaking, his emergence as king defied political calculations, family expectations, and even the ambitions of powerful kingmakers. Yet God had ordained him to reign, proving once again that divine purpose is not subject to human approval (1 Kings 1:28-40). Today, we turn our attention to the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), a story that challenges human reasoning and reveals the mysterious operation of divine favour. This parable teaches that when diligence meets divine favour, God can...