Dearly Beloved,

WHO WILL YOU GIVE HAMPER THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV).

Ordinarily, a hamper is a large basket, usually with a cover, used for the packing and carrying of articles. There has been a long tradition of community and social philanthropy and charity related to hampers, whereby persons or community groups donate to…

Dearly Beloved,

JOY TO THE WORLD! THE LORD IS COME

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10-11 NIV).

We are in another Christmas season! It has been a season set apart to commemorate the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago. Undoubtedly, the season is one of the most…

Dearly Beloved,

SHOULD CHRISTIANSBE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN POLITICS? (A Rejoinder)

“Therefore, tohim who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17NKJV).

I am so gratefulto everyone that reacted to my weekly message last week. Expectedly, somepeople reacted negatively, but majority reacted positively. Those that reactednegatively have their reasons, though not convincing to me. Out of theresponses, some issues were raised that are worthy of…

Dearly Beloved,

SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN POLITICS?

“Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm” (Daniel 6:3 NKJV).

Undoubtedly, my devotional message this week is controversial and I want your candid opinion about this issue: Should Christians be actively involved in politics? My answer is YES. However, two incidents made me…

Dearly Beloved,

WHY THANKING GOD?

“Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMP).

The Yorubas and many other tribes in Africa are fond of saying “Thank God” whenever they are been appreciated for anything they do. I am greatly influenced by this practice and it reflects in my chat with…

Dearly Beloved,

THINGS OFFERED TO IDOLS

"Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4 NKJV).

The ancient city of Corinth was a cosmopolitan city. This made the young church in the city to have many socio-cultural problems. Paul had to write many letters to them to address some of the problems that confronted the church. One of such problems addressed by Paul…

Dearly Beloved,

REMOVE THE ASHES!

“Then the priest, wearing his linen robe and linen shorts, shall remove the greasy ashes left on the altar and put them at the side of the altar. Then he shall change his clothes and take the ashes outside the camp to a ritually clean place. The fire on the altar must be kept burning and never allowed to go out. Every morning the priest shall put firewood on it, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat of the fellowship offering. The…

Dearly Beloved,

SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21 NKJV).

After having a personal Bible study on the first epistle of Peter some weeks ago, I was led to base one of my weekly devotional messages on the main theme of the epistle: Christian suffering. Such a theme is not a popular theme. I did struggle with the theme before yielding myself to the…

Dearly Beloved,

FROM BARRENNESS TO FRUITFULNESS

“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV).

Scientifically, the average age of a woman having her last period (or menstrual circle) is 50. This…

Dearly Beloved,

LORD, DISMISS US WITH THY BLESSING

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV).

One of the hymns I cherish is “LORD, DISMISS US WITH THY BLESSING.” I can sing its Yoruba version extemporaneously. It is one of the hymns we normally use as closing hymns. John Fawcett (1740-1817) wrote the benediction that became the…

Dearly Beloved,

THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE

"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV).

"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment" (John 7:24 NIV).

Samuel was a great man of God. Some Bible scholars have said that only Moses was greater than him in the leadership history of the…

Dearly Beloved,

WHO OWNS YOUR CHURCH?

“...I will build My church...” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV).

“...I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 NKJV).

The word church has been used to mean many things. The term “church” can be referred to at least four meanings: one, a building used for public Christian worship; two, a local group of Christians…

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT WENT WRONG?

"Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2 NIV).

"Asa was angry with the [prophet] because of [the admonition]; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people" (2 Chronicles 16:10 NIV).

Asa was one of good kings of Judah. The writers of the Scriptures chronicled his good deeds thus: he did what was good and right in the eyes of the…

Dearly Beloved,

ACCEPTING TROUBLES FROM GOD?

“Job replied, ‘Don't talk like a fool! If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.’ In all that happened, Job never once said anything against God” (Job 2:10 CEV).

Recently in the “Spiritual Digest for the Day” – an aspect of my Internet ministry where I send out an inspiring quote and an almost corresponding Bible verse, I used the above verse. One of my contacts asked me these questions: “Does God bring…

Dearly Beloved,

WHEN YOU ARE ACCUSED FALSELY

“When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me,’ he burned with anger. Joseph's master took him and put him in prison...” (Genesis 39:19-20 NIV).

One of my friends sought my counsel recently. Being one of the people in charge of counting collected church offerings, he was accused of stealing out of the offerings. He was not happy about the whole issue.I asked him whether the…

Dearly Beloved,

HE SENT HIM THERE

"…and he sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons…" (Psalm 105:17-18 NIV).

The story of Joseph has been one of the pathetic but interesting stories in the Bible. Joseph, a loved child, was hated by his elder brothers because of his destine. He was thrown to an empty cistern by these brothers who earlier planned to kill him. They sold him as slave to foreigners who took him…

Dearly Beloved,

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS

“The eternal God is our hiding place; he carries us in his arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27 CEV).

I am always captivated with hymns composed by Fanny Crosby – one of the most prolific hymn writers in Christian history. Although the hymn, “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” is probably not her most well-known hymn, it is another inspiring hymn. Fanny Crosby’s personal testimony is not only powerful, but her writings are a constant reminder to…

Dearly Beloved,

YOUR SITUATION WILL NOT OVERCOME YOU!

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God....’” (Isaiah 43:1-3a…

Dearly Beloved,

WHERE IS YOUR HOUSE?

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Matthew 7:24 ERV).

In the real life, each one of us has a shelter where we recess to at the end of the day. The shelter as one of the basic needs of life protects us from some physical hazards. This house may belong to us permanently or it may be rented for a period of time. No one would want to have a shelter that is not safe for…

Dearly Beloved, DON'T GIVE UP! "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" (Numbers 23:19 NIV). "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, `He who is coming will come and will not delay'" (Hebrews 10:36-37 NIV). I was still trying to come out of the trauma of my third consecutive visa…