These days my heart beats because of the path of life our youths are towing. I guess you saw the video that was in circulation of a young boy of about 16 years who was stripped naked and molested by his fellow youths and the aftermath of the young boy. It is so sad how the enemy targets those whose destinies are great. Satan drives them to join gangs, cults and dangerous groups that look good from the outside but evil on the inside. The aim of these gangs and cults is to show superiority and to colonize certain areas. Why are these youths going down the road of destruction – because they lack morals and most times we parents don’t start on time to teach them the word of God, and also we don’t show them an example by the way we live which is the primary way children learn faster. The Psalmist’s experiences are of great use for our direction, caution, and encouragement.
Psalm 1 made it clear to us all especially to our own youths the kind of group you hang around, how they function and their end. The Lord desires to see our youths walk in the counsel of the godly. The character of a good man is here given by the rules he chooses to walk by and to take his measures from. This part of his character is put first because those that will keep the commandments of their God must say to evil-doers, Depart from us (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. How can a youth stay pure? How can a youth keep his way pure? By keeping watch on himself according to God’s word harmonizing his (youth’s) life to the Lord’s precepts (Psalm 119:9).
Social media has become the second learning institute where the youths learn all sorts, the good the bad and the ugly. The thing about social media is that it has given many voices while taking away their ears. Everyone now talks as authorities in so many fields yet nobody listens….. those who listen do not hear.

Sinners must bear all the blame of their own destruction. Therefore the ungodly perish because the very way in which they have chosen and resolved to walk leads directly to destruction; it naturally tends towards ruin and therefore must necessarily end in it. It happened that some of our youths shared their experience.
Youth 1: My name is Leo (not his real name). I thank God for saving me. I used to live two lives. A quiet one at home but a totally different one at school. I was a bad boy and have friends that my dad will not be proud of. It came to a point that my parents found out about my life outside the home and they were shocked. It didn’t go down well with me because my parents started restricting me from going out after school. The end of it is that I got into trouble and would have lost my life if not for the intervention by the prayers of my parents and pastor. My advice to youths is to stop living two lives and be obedient to your parents. My advice to our parents is that you must know that what your child is going through so you can be of help to him or her.
Youth 2: My name is Bee (not her real name). I want to encourage the youths to be the person they are and not try to be someone else or copy what other youths are doing because that is the way it starts. Some of us want to be friends with a popular guy or girl in school so as to feel they belong and before you know it they would be asked to do something you never thought of, and just for you to stay in their circle you go out of your way to please them and displease your parents. Be yourself, be content with what you have and remain humble.
Youth 3: My name is Bob (not his real name). I usually hang around bad boys and I always fall into trouble. This kept going on and I asked myself why I should always be a culprit even when am not there, my name would be called. Well, I decided to give myself advice and came to conclusion never to follow them again. I also decided to get closer to God, and since that time I have been focused.

I thank God for the lives of these youths. I pray that you follow the ways of the righteous so that you will be fruitful in life. There is a way that seems right in the eyes of a man but the end of it is destruction. Remember the testimony of these young ones and be sure to stay away from those who will mock and want to sin with you and reduce you to a mere puppet. Staying on the right path brings fulfillment, growth, and success. May the Lord shield you from the wrong crowd in Jesus name……Amen!!!
Rev David & Deborah Adonai

A person who has never met true authority finds it hard to submit to lower authorities except that of God. Getting counsel from fellow men (Pastors or brethren) is hard for him because he believes that his parents or his pastor or his fellow brethren or even colleague has nothing to contribute to his life except what he hears from God. Such a person loves to hear himself rather than listen to what others have to say. When your thoughts are not disciplined, you will find it hard to submit to the authority whom He has placed before you whether at home, in your place of work or in the church. Therefore, guard your thoughts so that it doesn’t escape from your mouth and do some damage you would later regret. A person whose stronghold of reasons has been broken by God’s authority will have his thoughts captured by God; he can submit to Christ and be free from expressing opinions. To discern whether or not a brother has met authority, we first need to find out whether he has rebellious words (Numbers 16: 1 8 11); second, we need to find out whether or not he reasons to question God’s command (1 Samuel 15:24). Such a person believes only he and God knows everything. You hear God no doubt about that, and knows what He wants you to do. You also know what is likely to happen in your home, social gathering, prayer meetings, where to read during test/exams, and how to do your assignment in a simplified way…..I can go on and on. Now rather than humble himself, he feels he is now more spiritual than his pastor or leader. He forgets that all authority both in the church, and government comes from God (Romans 13:1). Note: God sometimes allow leaders with evil intentions to lead not because it pleases God but He uses such leaders to punish the people and bring disaster in the land, and for Him to save His people (Exodus 1: 8 – 14).

Such a person may be gifted but lacks knowledge of God’s word. He may study to preach to people, to show how much God’s word he can quote but hardly meditates on God’s word that would bring out his true nature. God in this way (by meditation on His word) prunes all his children. If the person consistently follows God’s instruction, his character and attitude grows and becomes like that of Christ (Philippians 2:5). Beloved in as much as God has called you His child, and have shown you how great you will be, He is interested in the process of formation that leads to that greatness. Take Korah, Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16, for example, these are highly placed men not just in the society but also in the church, for there were the Levites (Deacon or Deaconess or assistant pastor) who were supposed to be helping the priests (Senior Pastor of the church). What did they do, they opposed Moses, believing that they should’ve reached the Promised Land yet they seem to be nowhere near it. They rejected the leadership of Moses and refused to hear from him any more (Numbers 16: 12 – 14). You can imagine, even though Moses was still on the right track with God, these men had the effrontery challenge his leadership. Lord have mercy! Sometimes this can come in another way to you as a member of a church or in a department. It may happen that your leader made a mistake by making a wrong decision. God may have spoken to you concerning the situation, and you warned your leader but he went ahead to do the opposite. God would watch to see how your reaction, and what your attitude would be. Will you be like Ham who went ahead to expose his father’s naked or will you come like Shem and Japheth with your back and cover the shame of your father? I believe you aware of the aftermath (Genesis 9: 20 – 24).

This is why we who are under authority should always be praying for our leaders: Prime ministers, Presidents kings, queens, members of all sector in the government sector and most especially all the members of the Force (the army, police, navy, etc). You may find yourself there one day and the same cup you used to measure for others, that same cup shall be used for you. God’s throne is established upon authority, this was why Satan when he chose to ascend himself above God (rebellion), had to be thrown down from heaven (Isaiah 14:12 – 15). You now see why rebellion is dealt with the moment God sees it in man. You may be angry that your leader is not doing what he is supposed to do which is not God’s fault, but when you make decisions as to dethrone your leader even if you are successful in doing it you can never go scot-free. Bear in mind that the authority you are cursing out was put there by a higher one and it goes on and on till you get to the top – God! Only then can we see the authority of God. If we truly want to serve God we will never come to the point of violating any kind God established authority. May the Lord help us to understand the great consequence in disobeying authority in Jesus name…..Amen!!!

The Bible is the greatest blessing bestowed by God on men. It has God as the Author; salvation for its ends and truth without mixture for its matter. It is pure. As a child of God we need to be who we are in Christ Jesus as said in Colossians 2: 9 – 10, “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (you and me).  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” You need to make each day a master piece by being fruitful, and live each day wisely as you relate with people around, both family and in your work place. Drink from good books – especially the Bible, just as the Book of Joshua said, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” To be a child of God is not mouth-talk, but living it out so that men will see the Bible (you read and study inside your room) in action. In the Book of Daniel chapter one, we see a man who has learned to not defile himself by his environment. In chapter two, we see a man who has learned to not allow challenges of life affect him negatively rather he takes all to God in prayer. In chapter three, we see the friends of Daniel whose faith were being tested yet they stood their ground. Even though every other person has joined the “band wagon,” they chose to stand with Living God rather than bow down to the golden image. In chapter four, we see a man who told the king his sins in his face and pointed to him to look up to God even though he was under the kings pay roll. In chapter five, we see a man who has seen fame, power, money, yet he remained humble. His trust in God was more than anything you can give him. He chose to interpret the hand writing on the wall without accepting gifts or position. In chapter six, we see a man who has chosen to die worshiping and praying to his God rather than any other person.

God is able to do just what He says He would do, don’t give up because of trials and persecutions that come your way, all of it is to pave your way to the top just as it did for Daniel. Be committed to what has been given to you to do and never allow anything (jealousy, accusations, rejection, etc) or anybody (your pastor, deacon or departmental leader in your local church or fellowship) hinder you from getting your blessings, thereby causing you to leave the church when you are not supposed. Remember that Jesus told us that we should take heart that as long as we are in this world we would have trouble. Don’t see it any longer as a new thing. If God had given me the option, I would’ve chosen to be a business man rather than a pastor, but why should I be a business man and keep struggling all my life when I know I can succeed perfectly well without a struggle as a pastor. From the time I gave my life to Christ till date, I have seen and gone through so many situations under men and women of God including members, but it has never occurred to me in my wildest imagination to quit rather it has motivated me to pray more for them (church leaders, nations, and workers in the body of Christ). Daniel had a situation facing him to either stop praying or obey the law (a way to bring him down) signed by the king which states that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except the king—will be thrown into the den of lions. Daniel never gave it a thought rather he went out and opened his window and prayed more. This is not the kind of situation you would want to find yourself in but it can be another type where you are told to do an impossible task or a hard one which may be a cause for concern, never allow it weigh you down. Don’t start complaining to your colleagues about the task you are told to do by your demanding boss, stop complaining and whining like a baby crying out for the mother’s breast. Get on with the job, commit all to God in prayer, and allow the Holy Spirit direct you on what to do. I tell you with a positive attitude you are bound to overcome always despite all odds.Our spiritual victory is not only a testimony to others here on earth but to unseen witnesses as well.  We have choices to make regarding the trial of our faith because heaven is watching our response to our trials and afflictions.  Hammering trials break off the rough edges of sin in our lives. Grinding hardships chip away superficial spirituality. It’s a sad thing that the society has become so fake that the truth actually bothers people. Your attitudes towards life in general and your fellow brother determine your altitude. Feed your spirit and starve your flesh; feed your goals and vision, and starve your distraction; feed your faith and starve your doubt. God values you more than anything, and in the time of any given situation, He wants you to be a problem solver using the gift He has deposited in you at any given opportunity because we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28).

God values you more than anything, and in the time of any given situation, He wants you to be a problem solver using the gift He has deposited in you at any given opportunity because we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (Romans 8:28).

Many of the younger generation hear of war but have never been to war including me, with the exception of those in the military and those living in the war-torn countries. Many do not know what it is to be a Prisoner of War (POW). Watching from a far distance like sitting in your office or sitting room or bedroom to watch what is happening in Syria and other countries affected by war is a totally different thing from experiencing it. Imagine you are doing well as a businessman, student or whatever you are doing presently, and you hear a loud blast and it is the building opposite you that got blown and everywhere is chaos in a twinkle of an eye. As you are about to run with others you got rounded up by the enemies, and you were all marched in a single file into a waiting army truck. And the next thing is you find yourself in an underground cell with your fellow students and top leaders in your country, I bet the first thing that would come to your mind is for you to wake up from this horrible dream.

Now you are following, imagine Daniel and his friends a prince in his father’s country turned into a slave overnight in Babylon. This is to tell us that being a Christian does not exempt you from troubles in this world as long as you are still alive but there is one thing you must be assured of that no matter what is happening that the God of the whole universe is surely looking out for you and will favour you when the time comes. That favour can come in form of allowing your enemies martyr you knowing that you are going to see Him as you close your eyes in death. The other favour from God can come in form of you being singled out by your enemies and giving you a position that would come with so many good things by the virtue of God’s gift in your life. My question is, that gift of God in your life how “faithful” and “diligent” have you been using it? Proverbs 18: 8 says, ‘A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men’. This is why as a child of God you confess, you must not be doing things in trial and error for our God is not a God of trial and error. He has given each of us gifts and talents that would make us exceptional in life and the ability to make wealth.

Are you still wondering what you should do as a young Christian? Beloved, I encourage you to go to God in prayer and hear for yourself what He would say concerning your purpose here on earth. The Lord’s desire for all us is to prosper in the works of our hands. One thing I want you to know is that not even the prison cell can stop what God has given you (Read about Joseph in Gen 39: 19 and Gen 40). Apostle Paul was also a man who was imprisoned most of his life until his death yet he wrote more books in the New Testament than any other disciple. What differentiates a child of God from an unbeliever is the presence of God. God was with Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego). No matter the situation you are in it does not matter, but what matters is your attitude, perspective, actions and most importantly whose report do you believe – God or the situation report. Beloved always maintain a positive attitude all the time even when around people who are negative. That way you will always see the power of God manifesting in your life both in the good and dark times. Have you been called to serve the public as a child of God, my dear you have to start somewhere but you must learn that a man/woman whom God chooses for His work must go through the fiery test and how does it come –  in form of those, you are working with hating, trying to frustrate your work, giving negative reports about you for no reason even though they earn more than you. You must learn how to trust God the more (Proverbs 3: 5 – 6), forgive (Acts 7: 59 – 60) and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps (Psalm 37: 23). When you complain and keep going from one pastor to the other for prayers without you understanding that this is the way God uses to deal with hidden pride, impatience, hostility, etc, then you start fighting the people instead of praying for them. You start making excuses for your failures and bear in mind that a man of excuses is already displaying failure. Stand up now and get moving and never again see yourself as a prisoner of war.

Dr. Charles W. Eliot, long-time president of Harvard University, believed that ordinary people who read consistently from the world’s great literature for even a few minutes a day could gain a valuable education. In 1910, he compiled selections from books of history, science, philosophy, and fine art into fifty volumes called The Harvard Classics. Each set of books included Dr. Eliot’s Reading Guide titled “Fifteen Minutes A Day” containing recommended selections of eight to ten pages for each day of the year. What if we spent fifteen minutes a day reading God’s Word? We could say with the psalmist, “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Ps. 119:36–37).

Fifteen minutes a day adds up to ninety-one hours a year. But for whatever amount of time we decide to read the Bible each day, consistency is the secret and the key ingredient is not perfection but persistence. If we miss a day or a week, we can start reading again. As the Holy Spirit teaches us, God’s Word moves from our minds to our hearts, then to our hands and feet—taking us beyond education to transformation.

The Bible is the only Book whose Author is always present when it is read.

Prayer Point: Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. As I turn to You, the Author, to teach me as I read Your Word today. I want to hear from You, to know You the more, and to grow closer to You in Jesus name…..Amen!!!

Culled from odb.org/2017/06/06/

These days my heart beats because of the path of life our youths are towing. I guess we saw the video of that young boy who was stripped naked and molested by his fellow youths and the aftermath of the young boy. It is so sad how the enemy targets those whose destinies are great. Satan derives joy by driving youths to join gangs, cults and dangerous groups that look good from the outside but evil in the inside. The aim of these gangs and cults is to show superiority, and to colonise certain areas. Why are these youths going down the road of destruction –  because they lack morals and most times we parents don’t start on time to teach them the word of God, and also we don’t show them example by the way we live which is the primary way children learn. The Psalmist’s experience are of great use for our direction, caution, and encouragement.

Just like in the Garden of Eden a choice was given to man ….Life and Death (Genesis 2:9). Just like in the time of Joshua, he told them to choose which god to serve…. the Living God or the gods of the Euphrates (Joshua 24:15). To us who are living today – Is it righteousness or wickedness? The end of the righteous is growth, satisfaction and ending well. But the wicked is doom. So if you are a Christian and you are not fruitful be it in thirties, sixties or hundreds then it is an error.

It’s amazing how the writer of the above Psalm started by giving man the choice to choose how to end; whether to end well or not. Is this not a reminder of what happened in the Garden of Eden in the First Book of the Bible (Genesis 2:9) and also in the Sixth Book (Joshua 24:15). Today we are called to choose peace and shun every form of terrorism. If I may ask, how can peace be with us or come into our lives/nation when we reject the Prince of Peace? How can a nation put away the name of the Lord of which our founding fathers believe and built the nation on by honouring Him? And we the today generation believe we shall have peace just by mentioning it when we have already rejected Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace. O yes! We may not want to say it because many people are today afraid they would be rejected by the society and the class they belong to (mostly in the Western world), but I tell you when the heathen rage and plot against the Holy One the only thing they would get is terror.

When men and nations scoff at the things of God be sure to what you are asking for, what you are saying is that we don’t want joy, happiness of one another and peace in our lives and nation. By mere looking around you would agree with me that when a man or a nation decides to make God principles part of their lives, they shall have peace and the mind-set of the people will forever be changed.

The above Psalm also made it clear to us all especially to our own youths the kind of group you hang around, how they function and their end. The Lord desires to see our youths walk in the counsel of the godly. The character of a good man is here given by the rules he chooses to walk by, and to take his measures from. This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the commandments of their God must say to evil-doers, “Depart from us” (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. How can a youth stay pure? By keeping watch on himself according to God’s word conforming his (youth’s) life to the Lord’s precepts (Psalm 119:9).

Social media has become the second learning institute where the youths learn all sorts, the good the bad and the ugly. Sinners must bear all the blame of their own destruction. Therefore the ungodly perish, because the very way in which they have chosen and resolved to walk leads directly to destruction; it naturally tends towards ruin and therefore must necessarily end in it. It happened that some of our youths shared their experience.

Youth 1: My name is Leo (not his real name). I thank God for saving me. I used to live two lives. A quiet one at home but a total different one at school. I was a bad boy and have friends that my dad will not be proud of. It came to a point that my parents found out about my life outside home and they were shocked. It didn’t go down well with me because my parents started restricting me from going out after school. The end of it is that I got into trouble and would have lost my life if not for the intervention by the prayers of my parents and pastor. My advice to youths is to stop living two lives and be obedient to your parents. My advice to our parents is that you must know that what your child is going through so you can be of help to him or her.

Youth 2: My name is Bee (not her real name). I want to encourage the youths to be the person they are and not try to be someone else or copy what other youths are doing because that is the way it starts. Some of us want to be friends with a popular guy or girl in school so as to feel they belong and before you know it they would be asked to do something you never thought of, and just for you to stay in their circle you go out of your way to please them and displease your parents. Be yourself, be content with what you have and remain humble.

Youth 3: My name is Bob (not his real name). I usually hang around bad boys and I always fall into trouble. This kept going on and I asked myself why I should always be a culprit even when am not there, my name would be called. Well I decided to give myself advice and came to conclusion never to follow them again. I also decided to get closer to God, and since that time I have been focused.

I thank God for the lives of these youths and pray that you follow the ways of the righteous so that you will be fruitful in life. There is a way that seems right in the eyes of a man but the end of it is destruction. Remember the testimony of these young ones and be sure to stay away from those who will mock and want to sin with you and reduce you to a mere puppet. Staying on the right path brings fulfilment, growth and success. May the Lord shield you from the wrong crowd in Jesus name……Amen!!!

God begins His work on us long before He saved us. Apostle Paul said, “But when it pleased God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might announce Him as the gospel among the Gentiles, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood” (Gal. 1:15-16). This shows that Apostle Paul was set apart from his mother’s womb just like you and I. Then he told us that he became a minister of God’s word after having persecuted the church. While he was yet in his mother’s womb, God set him apart, and his course was assigned. You can check out what God told Jeremiah the Prophet in Jeremiah 1: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” When Apostle Paul was saved, he embarked on this journey of faith. This shows that the preparation and initiation of a minister are determined by God when such a person is still in his mother’s womb. Most us think that this is only for pastors but the truth is that it is for the general Body of Christ – THE CHURCH. You may have been called as a doctor, engineer, plumber, politician, a governor, a lawyer, support worker, teacher, IT expert, etc., you should understand God’s sovereign arrangement in our environment. His hands is behind everything— in our family, and in our profession, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

The experiences we went through before we were saved and after being saved was and is still under God’s sovereign arrangement. Though our experiences may differ, I bet you they are all similar (1 Peter 5:9). God gives us our distinctive characters, our temperaments, our inclinations, and our virtues. He prepared all of these things. No one goes through any experience by accident. No person inherits a character trait by accident; everything is under God’s sovereign hand. He made provisions long ago for our natural abilities and experiences, and He has prepared us for our future commission. This means that the temptation and trials that come our way are not to make us fail rather strengthen our faith, to show us how weak we are, and the need to always depend on the Lord. God has no intention to remove the bad and ugly events that may come to our ways sometimes, rather He wants us to trust Him in everything we do no matter how little such things may be (Psalm 37:23 NLT). You remember what Romans 8:28 says, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honoured] among many believers. And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity] AMP Version.

In our Christian walk with the Lord, God wants us to consistently depend on Him and not to lean on our own understanding so as to be able to grow daily. This may not be easy sometimes but His grace is sufficient for us. If we are unwilling to be dealt with, we will not be able to work well for God not to talk of walking with Him. We must not think that such dealings are optional. What do I mean by dealing or dealt with? It is our daily carrying of our cross as Christians as we walk with Jesus. This daily walk with the Lord brings about our brokenness. We must be broken, and we must bear the mark of the cross not necessarily physical. Our spirit must be a broken spirit, and also have a repentant heart (Psalm 51:17). God’s word has to penetrate our whole being—our feelings, our understanding, our heart, and our spirit. It has to flow in and out of us; it has to be identified with us, and then it must be released from us as a result of grinding, crushing, and pressing. If our emotion is misaligned, if our mind is impaired, or if our understanding, heart, and spirit are even slightly off, we may likely misinterpret God’s word. Not only will our word be flawed, but the church is likely to suffer as well. We have to learn to allow God’s word to pass through us without any hindrance or contamination if not we will damage God’s word and affect the church negatively. This is why we have so many half-baked Christians, who have refused to submit to authorities and have decided to become leaders overnight without being a disciple.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti in 2010, one philosopher wrote, “For those who believe in an all-good, all-powerful God, we’ve seen that they face a question that remains pressing after all these centuries, and which is now horribly underscored by the horrors in Haiti. If a deity exists, why didn’t he prevent this?”

Most people have an innate desire for justice and empathize when something unjust happens to the innocent. They also desire for mercy to be shown when adversity strikes. When we perceive that either of these two things is missing, the human response is often anger and blaming God for not doing what we think He should have done. The scene at the cross is the ultimate convergence of justice and mercy, and if viewed dispassionately, it’s the end of any arguments about God’s justice and His mercy: Both are fulfilled there. But here we also have human nature on full display when confronted by the face of God. One “criminal” hurls insults and denies Jesus (Luke 23:39). It appears that the other owns his own shame and asks that the Savior remember him (Luke 23:42). Did he think he would inherit “paradise”? (Luke 23:43). Hardly. He simply wanted some token of mercy.

Sometimes, especially amidst personal adversity or when learning of great human tragedy, we can become the scoffing thief—hurling insults and embracing disbelief because it looks as if God has no power or is unwilling to step in and save the day. The humble thief responded in the only acceptable way, however, as should we all: He was aware of his well-deserved condemnation and asked in humility for Jesus to respond to his need—seeking mercy rather than reward. By God’s grace he received both!

Culled from

www.ourdailyjourney 13/12/2016