Dearly Beloved,

AGAINST ALL ODDS

"After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do'" (Acts 13:22 NIV).

I am not an ardent football fan neither do I have any particular football club as my favourite. Even the national football teams of my country are not my favourite teams. However, I follow the trend in football with…

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY?

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:20-21 NIV).

April 1, 2012 was a unique day. It was the first day of the month of April. It was the first day of the second quarter of the year. It was the day set apart…

Dearly Beloved,

HOW OPEN-MINDED ARE YOU?

"Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" (Romans 1:22-24 NIV).

I get in contact with different kinds of people on the Internet almost every…

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT IS YOUR BRONZE SNAKE?

"Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth" (Exodus 20:4 TEV).

"[Hezekiah] destroyed the pagan places of worship, broke the stone pillars, and cut down the images of the goddess Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made, which was called Nehushtan. Up to that time the people of Israel had burned incense in its honor" (2…

Dearly Beloved,

THERE IS HOPE!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you'" (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV).

I have read this Bible passage times without numbers. I have heard people quoting it. I have even used it to preach to or encourage other people several times. However, when I…

Dearly Beloved,

"WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?"

"Then the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied. The LORD said, 'Throw it on the ground.' Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it" (Exodus 4:2-3 NIV).

Sometimes, we all feel inadequate, insufficient, incapable, unqualified and helpless to do something while in actual fact, the resources to do such thing are at our disposal. Moses found…

Dear Beloved,

IF JESUS CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN RAISED

"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised.... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead...." (1 Corinthians 15:13-20 NIV).

Every year, the Christians all over the world set aside a Sunday in either late March or early April to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why do they attach much importance to…

Dearly Beloved,

FULFILLING ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS

"Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15 NIV).

Like John the Baptist, one would wonder why Jesus Christ would present Himself for a baptism of repentance. However, Jesus' response to John the Baptist was that it was appropriate for Him to take part in John's baptism at that time in order to fulfil all righteousness. Since there was no requirements…

Dear Beloved,

WAIT FOR GOD'S APPOINTED TIME

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways..." (Psalm 37:7 NIV).

After the disobedience of Saul to the command of God to totally destroy the Amalekites and his rejection as king of Israel by God, God sent Prophet Samuel to anoint David as the new king. David served King Saul for several years in spite of the fact that he knew that he was the rightful…

Dearly Beloved,

GOD'S FAITHFULNESS IN SPITE OF ALL ODDS

"But now, this is what the Lord says — he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze'" (Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV).

There…

Dearly Beloved,

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23, NKJV).

Almost all the Christian hymns have touching and striking stories that made their composers to compose them. Interestingly, the popular hymn - "GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS" - did not have any such story. The writer of the hymn, Thomas O. Chisholm, confessed that…

Dearly Beloved,

HE IS FAITHFUL!

"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV).

"You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader" (Psalm 146:3 CEV).

The Lord God is more than dependable. When He promises, He is not only ready to fulfil the promise, He is also able to fulfil the promise. Human beings are completely different. They can make promises, but they may not be ready to fulfil the promises. They may even be ready to…

Dearly Beloved,

BENEFITS OF BEING RIGHTEOUS

"Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:6-7 NIV).

More and more people are becoming religious especially in this part of the world. However, it is becoming more difficult to find righteous people who really fear God in his day-to-day activities. In spite of this fact,  the writer of Psalm 112…

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT MANNER OF LOVE!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1 NKJV).

For some time now, many people have been talking about love, and they will celebrate "love" on February 14, a day popularly known as "the Valentine's Day." However, the kind of love that people are presently talking about and that is been celebrated on February 14 is erroneous. It is indeed "lust" not love! Even if…

Dearly Beloved,

The incessant incidents of bomb blasts in Nigeria in recent time claiming lives of hundreds of people and the seemingly helplessness of the Nigerian government to curb the situation while the faceless wicked people are having a field day in perpetrating their evils made me to go into my archive and bring out the message below first posted on July 17, 2005:

HOW LONG, O LORD?

"How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? Who will…

Dearly Beloved,

REVIVAL AGAIN?

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6 NIV).

Psalm 85 is one the popular psalm especially its sixth verse that talks about revival. The title of the Psalm, “For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm,” does not give the name of the author or its background. It was evidently composed in view of the fact that God had, on some former occasion, stepped in when His people were in trouble, but that…