RAISING DISCIPLES FOR WORLD OUTREACH

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28 How can pain, loss, betrayal, affliction, and persistent sorrow work together for the good of a believer in Christ? What assurance can be given to someone whose life experiences seem devastating and beyond repair, that God can still turn those broken pieces into a testimony of grace and victory? These are questions many believers silently wrestle with. At certain moments in life, Romans 8:28 may appear difficult to comprehend. Yet throughout Scripture, God continually demonstrates His sovereign ability to bring beauty out of brokenness, triumph out of tragedy, and purpose out of pain. The workings of God are often invisible to human eyes. His intervention may not always be immediate or dramatic, but it is always intentional. Heaven can be silently arranging victory while earth appears overwhelmed by defeat. SOLOMON: GRACE BEYOND HUMAN QUALIFICATI...

 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!’” — Luke 15:17 The story of the prodigal son in Gospel of Luke is one of the most powerful pictures of repentance, restoration, and the mercy of God. It is a story that calls wandering hearts back home. The younger of two sons demanded from his father the share of inheritance that belonged to him. Surprisingly, the father granted the request and divided his possessions between both sons. There is something important to notice here. Luke 15:17 says: “When he came to his senses…” This means there was a period when he had lost sound judgment. A son who was already wealthy in his father’s house somehow became blind to the value of what he already had. Sin will always deceive a man into abandoning abundance in search of emptiness. While the older son remained with the father, the younger son traveled to a distant country and wasted everything on reckle...

 PRAYING WITH THE HELP OF THE SPIRIT “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” — Romans 8:26–27 THE NECESSITY OF DIVINE HELP About four or five years ago, I was harvesting maize from my farm. The bus transporting the harvest became trapped in deep mud. For two days, several people and I labored tirelessly to free it, but every effort failed. Many who came to help eventually left exhausted and discouraged. As our strength and ideas diminished, a tractor passed by on its way to a nearby farm. I approached the driver for assistance. Within two minutes, the bus was pulled out. What two days of human effort could not accomplish was settled almost instantly through the right help. That experience taught me a powerful less...

  "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: when his mother Mary was going to be married to Joseph, before they came together the discovery was made that she was with child by the Holy Spirit." — Matthew 1:18-20 THE QUIET HERO Who truly knows Joseph? Not Joseph the dreamer — that son of Jacob who soared from a pit to a palace, who wore the coat of many colours and fed a famished generation. Not Joseph of Arimathea, that bold and influential man who stood before Pilate and tenderly laid the body of our Lord in his own tomb. No. This Joseph is different. Quieter. Simpler. A carpenter. An ordinary man in the streets of Israel — unremarkable by the world's measure, unannounced by fanfare or fame. He sought no spotlight. He pursued no platform. He did not hunger for recognition or public promotion. And yet — Heaven chose him. There is something deeply sacred about the man God trusts with silence. CHOSEN FOR THE UNTHINKABLE  Joseph made history not by performing a miracle...

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...