Welcome to another episode of Sunday Bread. The idea is to quickly share something I learned in church that I believe is worth your paying attention to, ruminating on, and actively acting on as you enter your week.

Before I get into it, I want you to know that church is God’s idea. Gathering together is God’s design. Having a pastor who feeds you with the Word is the plan of God. So many verses of the Bible attest to this, but I’ll lead you to check out Matthew 16:18 and Ephesians 4:11–13.

It is God who instituted the divine gathering called the church, so be a part of it.

God is a God of Legacy

Have you ever thought to yourself, “If only I had a certain amount of money or resources, I would do so many great things”?

You see, that’s valid thinking, but it’s also just convenient. The truth is, many times, the people who eventually do “great things” show the signs early.

What I mean is that the amount of resources you have is not the only thing that determines what you can do with them. With the little you may think you have now, there are still ways you can give, serve, help, create, or make an impact. And what you do with the little is often a reflection of what you will do with much.

If you are faithful with what is in your hands now, you are demonstrating that you can be trusted with more. But if you are constantly waiting for more before you do anything, more may not necessarily make you more faithful.

Like the Bible puts it, “He who is faithful in little is faithful in much also.”

If you find yourself constantly thinking about what you can do for others, beyond what benefits you personally, that is a righteous way to think.

True fear of God produces open-handedness. The person blessed by God becomes a blessing to others.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV

[17] As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

[18] They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

[19] thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

It’s human nature to focus only on consumption. We have too many consumers. It’s great to enjoy life; you should do that. What we should not do is make that the most important thing to us.

God wants channels, people who will steward His deposits in them properly and release them as a blessing to the world He made. The Christian must be a person who thinks about what he can do and give, and not only what he can gain.

Money is what crosses the mind first, but it’s not limited to this. Skill, time, presence, and service are also things that we can give.

If all Christians thought about legacy, we would be so much more effective as a Kingdom.

Be a planter. Do things that will bear fruit that many others can eat from. Try not to live only for your survival.

Whose life is better because of you? What have you done for God’s cause on the earth? What have you done for the people around you? Are you only going to be known as rich, or as the rich person who made others rich?

These are questions to answer and work towards.

I pray for you, God guides your every step and helps you to live his will.

Have a lovely week!

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I plan to do a post like this regularly on Sundays, to share what I ate in church.

I want to share something I found profound that would help for our edification.

I'm not one to throw around Hebrew or Greek words except I find it very necessary, or just like the way it sounds so much that I can't resist. This is the case with the word "pārâ".

After God created man in His image, He gave the instructions in the verse above. The root Hebrew word for the command "be fruitful" is pārâ.

Many people think this just means human reproduction, and yes, the word can be used for that, but there is more to it. Pārâ communicates reproduction of different kinds: trees, crops, livestock, etc. However, ultimately, it talks about the fruitfulness of a person's life.

When God says, "Be fruitful," He doesn't just mean have children; He's saying, "Become productive. Bring forth what is within you. Cause life and increase to come from you."

God is strongly for productivity and fruitfulness. He made us to not just be consumers. The plan of God is that we consume to then produce. The idea is that inside of us are deposits that He has given us to be able to bring forth something tangible.

What I'm trying to tell you as you start the week is this: Imago Dei, your God is saying, a way you can image Him on earth is that what He put in you comes out of you. Strive to be a blessing.

What would this look like, for example? Teach someone something you really know how to. Give that money or resource. Put a smile on someone's face. Sing those songs. Write those books. Give that counsel or encouragement. Give yourself for the benefit of those around you and the world at large, to the glory of God.

God has made us dispensers. He made us in His image, blessed us, and wants us to be fruitful. And whatever we produce, He multiplies.

In whatever way it looks like for you, PRODUCE.

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God found Noah to be righteous, so He revealed His plan to judge the earth through a great flood and instructed him to build an ark that would preserve people during the event.

I would like to point out a few standout lessons from his story in this write-up.

Read Genesis 6-9 for a fuller context.

Just the other day, I stepped out to play basketball on an open court. The moment I saw the cloudy skies, I knew it was going to rain and that my game would probably be ruined. If I told my guys that rain was about to fall and that they should stay indoors, they would believe me.

In Noah’s time, many understand the text to suggest that rainfall was either unknown or, at the very least, unprecedented on the scale Noah described. Think about that for a moment. A man went around telling people that the Lord had said water would fall from the sky and cover the whole earth. To them, that would have sounded like pure fantasy. He must have seemed completely crazy.

If you’re going to embrace the voice of God, there may be moments when you look crazy to others, especially when you’re saying things they cannot yet conceive or understand.

Noah valued God’s instruction so much that he was willing to wake up every day and endure the pain and arduous labour of building a remarkable structure simply because God told him to. Also inspiring is his diligence and commitment. The wood didn’t magically appear or stack itself. He would have spent countless hours chopping, carrying, measuring, and building.

Another reason I believe Noah had strong spine is that it takes a different level of devotion to God to remain faithful when an entire generation is marked by unrighteousness, and you, along with your household, refuse to join in.

Genesis 7:1 ESV

[1] Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

Like Noah’s generation, ours also presents strong pressures to compromise God’s standards. It takes real conviction to stand, like Noah, for what is true and righteous in the midst of opposing voices and ideologies that contradict the clear teaching of God’s Word.

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Type and shadow

In the upcoming posts I’ll be making, I’ve decided to add this section to explain a very important theme in the Bible.

Colossians 2:16-17 ESV

[16] Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.

[17] These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Types and shadows refer to certain Old Testament persons, events, institutions, and objects that foreshadow Christ or New Testament realities.

The Old Testament type is the initial symbol, while the New Testament reality is the ultimate fulfillment. Shadows describe the prophetic, anticipatory nature of those types.

A shadow points to the existence and shape of a reality but is not the reality itself. It gives enough information to recognize what is coming, but it lacks the substance and complete expression of the real thing. In other words, a biblical shadow is the outline cast by a greater reality that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ.

Since we’re talking about a builder, let me use a common building analogy to explain this. Before a building is constructed, an architect first produces a blueprint or sketch. It is essential to the construction process because it reveals what the finished building will look like. You can see the building in the sketch, but you don’t yet have the building itself. In the same way, throughout the Old Testament, God gave us sketches of what was to come. The fullness (the completed building) is brought to life in Christ.

Having explained the idea, the ark in Noah’s story is widely considered to be a type of Christ.

• The ark was God’s gracious provision of salvation for Noah and his family. In the same way, Jesus’ death on the cross is God’s gracious provision of salvation for all who trust in Him.

• Those who remained in the ark were saved from God’s judgment. Likewise, those who abide in Christ are saved from the wrath of God.

• There was only one door to the ark. Jesus calls Himself the Door (John 10:9). He is the only way to eternal life.

• God Himself shut the door of the ark. Salvation ultimately depends upon God’s gracious action. Noah did not secure himself; God secured him.

• The flood was an unexpected act of judgment upon the wicked. Likewise, Christ will return in judgment, and his coming will be unexpected by those who are unprepared.

• The ark was built according to God’s exact instructions. Noah did not invent his own means of salvation. In the same way, God determines the way of salvation, not man.

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For more on the Christ centeredness of the bible and how the Old Testament should be properly seen in the light of Christ, read the write up below

One day, while coming back home from school with my mum, I told her I was thirsty and asked if we could buy water from a nearby shop. She responded that we were almost home. Instead of just waiting, I started grumbling and moping.

The funny thing is, we were only a few metres away from the house. I had absolutely no good reason to react the way I did. I could easily have just waited.

Unfortunately for me, I sat in the front seat that day. Before I could even process my life choices, my ear was twisted in a way that instantly reset my entire attitude. It was one of those twists that reaches your soul.

Looking back now, it’s funny, but in that moment, character development was happening in real time.

My story is just a segue to talk about something super important.

In Exodus 32, Moses goes up the mountain to meet with God and receive instructions. The people of Israel, however, become impatient and instead of waiting for Moses to return with instructions from God, they grow hasty and demand a god who will lead them to the Promised Land. So, they create a golden calf.

One of the gods in Egypt that the Israelites must have been exposed to is Apis, the bull god. They still had Egypt in their hearts, and, remembering Apis, they fashioned a golden calf that mimicked this pagan god. Their impatience drove them to seek a god other than the true God, one who would act according to their own timetable, because they were tired of the wilderness.

Every believer must learn to wait on the Lord and walk according to His plan. It is a very dangerous place to be when you become impatient with God. This is how idolatry creeps in. You begin to turn to other things, giving them the place that only God should occupy in your life and heart. Do not create your own god.

Someone also pointed out that the Israelites were slaves for many years, so how did they get enough gold to make the golden calf? In the Lord’s message to Moses when they were to leave Egypt, He instructed the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbours for gold and silver jewellery, as well as clothing, and promised to give them favour in their eyes.

The Lord intended for that wealth to be a blessing, but they eventually elevated the goodness of the gift above the goodness of the Giver. They took what was meant to bless them and made an idol out of it, choosing to worship it instead.

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I understand people can be very deceptive, and there are several instances where you might genuinely have been oblivious to the fake love. But most times, you must have put yourself in a situation like that through unwise spending or flaunting.

The cues would usually be there if a person cares more about the resources they can get from you than they do about you.

When I was a lot younger, we used the slang “maga” to describe men who lavished money on women that clearly didn’t care much for them. Someone even sang in a very popular song that “he spends his money every day on top women, and he’s ready to be a maga for them,” and we all chanted it in excitement and vibes.

The truth, however, is that no normal person wants to be in a place where their lover doesn’t truly see them, love them, and cherish them, but instead wants to be with them because they can gain wealth or influence.

When it comes to the Christian experience, many are looking for “maga.” Just chunk up all your life’s troubles to this powerful being when you need Him, and don’t show any form of interest in who He is or what He desires of us.

God is, in fact, merciful and will come through for you, but His desire is more than granting your requests. He wants you to know Him and have a relationship with Him.

God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit a land and that they would be delivered from oppression they would later experience in a foreign land. This covenant was reaffirmed to Isaac and Israel.

God later sends Moses, in fulfillment of His promise, to tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel (descendants of Abraham) go.

Exodus 8:1 NIV

[1] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

God said to let them go so they could worship Him. The priority of God was for them to be with Him. He took them to the wilderness first for worship. They would still enter into the Promised Land, but first they had to be with God.

Before you enter a place with overflowing milk and honey, know God first, lest you begin to magnify the honey, bask in its sweetness, and forget Him who brought you there.

I’m a strong believer in the truth that God blesses men materially. What I can never subscribe to, though, is making God’s blessings (material and physical) the entirety of your Christian experience.

Exodus 33:14-15 NIV

[14] The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” [15] Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

In Exodus 33, God told Moses the children of Israel should go to the Promised Land, but He won’t go with them because they were stiff-necked. Moses then went to intercede before the Lord, and He assured him of His presence going with them.

We’ve got to be like Moses and say that if God’s presence is not there, let me not be there. This demonstrates an understanding of what matters most. What really is priority?

Moses knows that what distinguishes Israel from other nations is God’s presence.

There’s no point entering into “blessings” without a conviction and awareness of God’s presence.

Do you really see God and His presence as most important?

If you bring them to the promise land before first bringing them to the promiser, they will turn the promised land to a place of Idolatry ~John Bevere.

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Someone once asked me if it’s a godly sport and, honestly, I don’t know.

Two men or women are beating themselves up or trying to knock each other out for money. Is it a godly or biblical way to earn a living? Let me know what you think.

I’ve watched many documentaries on the great boxers, and one of the most touching stories of success I’ve come across is that of Manny Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao grew up in deep poverty in a small village in Kibawe, Bukidnon, in the Philippines. As a young boy who later moved to Manila, he fought in small local boxing matches, mostly just to survive and earn enough money for food. To him, boxing was simply a way to get by. But when trainer Freddie Roach saw him, he recognized a rare gift and helped develop it.

Under the right guidance, that simple survival skill grew into a historic boxing career that made Pacquiao a global champion. Beyond the ring, his success allowed him to uplift and support many people in the Philippines, using his influence and resources to help communities and be a major inspiration in his nation.

Maybe not a direct correlation, but there’s some sense in which this relates to what I want to share in this write-up.

Reference: Read Exodus 4

In Exodus 3, God had called Moses in a profound, undoubtable way and told him about His plan to deliver the people of Israel. Exodus 4 opens with Moses protesting, and he said, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” (Exodus 4:1)

Moses could not get past himself. He knew God had called him but didn’t think he could do it. So, God decided to convince him that He would show He was with him through diverse signs.

I want to highlight the first one, where in a similar but far greater way to the boxer’s story, when God called Moses, He asked a simple question: “What is in your hand?” Moses only saw an ordinary tool for tending sheep. But when he surrendered it to God, that same staff became the “staff of God,” through which signs and wonders were performed.

The same staff that was used to lead sheep is the same staff that swallowed up the snakes of Pharaoh’s magicians and was the same one that he used to path the red sea.

When we realize that our abilities belong to God, then He will use them. Allow God to use what is in your hand. Let Him amplify it. Do not despise the ability to write, speak, think, sing, lead, serve, negotiate, or create that you have. Be confident enough that God has blessed it and use it. That may just be what will deliver several people and change lives.

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Romans 15:4 ESV

[4] For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

I want to start a series sharing God’s counsel from the Old Testament. There are several reasons why it is important to study the Old Testament, such as the fact that it is inspired by God, reveals the character of God, contains accurate prophecy, and points to Christ.

A major importance of the Old Testament is highlighted by Paul in the verse above, which is that it was written for our instruction and that through it we find encouragement and hope.

As much as I would have loved to, it will not be possible to narrate the full story or writings of the Bible I will be sharing from. I will include the reference texts and implore you to read them to prevent being lost and to aid comprehension.

This write-up focuses on the story of Cain and Abel.

Reference: Genesis 4

We don’t decide what pleases God, he does

Today is Valentine’s Day. Walk with me and imagine this: a person wants to treat their lover to a special Valentine’s dinner, so they travel 20 km on foot to buy pepper. They go on a trip of 5,000 km because the local store’s spaghetti didn’t feel authentic. Then they spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal.

When they serve the dinner to their lover, the person, just at the smell of the food, says, “Why did you add crayfish to this meal?” Only then do they remember that their lover is allergic to crayfish, and so they can’t eat the food after all the toiling.

Now we just hold on to “it’s the thought that counts” and maybe soak garri 😂

Cain tilled the ground and brought crops to God. That must have taken some work—hard work. Still, God had no regard for it.

Hebrews 11:4 ESV

[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

With God, righteousness is accredited on the basis of faith and never your hard work. You do not get to devise your own ways of worship to the Lord; we come to Him by faith instead.

Sin crouches at the door

Because God did not accept his sacrifice, Cain became angry, and God told him that sin was out to get him.

Genesis 4:7 NASB2020

[7] If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

The statement God makes tells you that sin is like an animal, waiting to pounce if you do not tame it.

I have had my fair share of horrible experiences with animals. My dog once chased me when I was much younger. I think everyone should experience this at least once in their lifetime. It is a potential revealer. Can you ever really know how fast you can run until a dog chases you?

A lizard once jumped on my head out of nowhere while I was playing in my compound because I had thrown stones at it minutes before. That scarred me a bit, and it took a while for me to stay outside comfortably without looking over my shoulder.

A mother hen once chased my friends and me after we deliberately taunted her by throwing stones at her chicks. This one was very well deserved.

Anyway, if sin acts like an animal, the best way to avoid it is to keep it caged or tame it. Do not wait for the drive to get out of hand before you start acting on it. If we do not control sin, it will eat us up.

What started as anger for Cain led to murder and then to lying in an attempt to cover up his deeds. Sin led to more sin, and he eventually faced judgment.

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Isaiah 26:3 ESV

[3] You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

God gives us believers a promise of perfect peace, but it doesn’t come without our involvement. There is a tendency to think that being sane as a Christian should just happen automatically, but we see in the verse above that we have a part to play in fixing our minds on God and trusting Him.

Babies are such interesting creatures. Some time ago, I was in the clinic when there was this cute infant who just kept crying. The crying was so loud and distracting that we couldn’t continue our teaching without addressing it. The child was clearly uncomfortable and unwell, which explained the persistent crying.

Some girls in my group then started to sing to her, and almost immediately, the crying stopped. Once they stopped singing, the baby began to cry again, and they had to resume singing.

This is the concept of distraction therapy, a method that reduces pain or distress in babies by diverting their attention to pleasant stimuli. The Christian can do something similar. God has designed that we find pleasure in His presence. Instead of focusing so much on all that you think is going wrong in your life, why not spend some time in God’s Word and adore Him in prayers?

The more time you spend pondering on God’s ability and nature, the less fearful you are likely to be. Begin cultivating the habit of just bragging about God. Don’t allow yourself to idolize problems to the point where that’s all you think about. Whatever it is that I face, God is bigger. That’s the mindset that helps to keep peace.

Worrying never makes anything better. If someone wants to plant and, because they are so worried about whether the seed will grow or not, they keep going back to open the ground and look at the seed, it won’t grow. The farmer does what they can control: plant, water, put manure, and expose it to the right environment for sunlight and air. Whether it germinates or not, they have done what they can do.

Focus on what you can control and then trust God.

In local dialect: If e pass you, e pass you. Na man you be, you no be God.

The events in your life might look so overwhelming right now, and it seems like you can’t do much about them. I need you to know that they won’t drown you. Peter, if Jesus tells you to walk on water, He knows you can. Don’t stop walking because the wind gets stronger. Fix your eyes on Him; remove them from the storm.

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There are a couple of times when I’ve felt like I could die on this earth. Two of the most vivid experiences have to do with drowning in water. Life is so private, nobody knows I can’t swim.

Swimming is actually an important survival skill we should learn. When I’m humble enough, have enough time for it, and maybe am not as afraid of water bodies, I will definitely learn how to.

In 2017, at Sea School, Apapa, Lagos, the young man writing to you thought his life would end. My schoolmates and I were informed that we needed to do a welcome tradition they called baptism. They asked us to change into swimming wear, so we got excited, having no idea what was about to happen.

When it was time, they lined us up on a slab about eight feet above the Apapa sea. We were given life jackets and instructed on how to jump into the water at the count of three, and we were all expected to do it. I watched others before me go in and come back up, but I was still scared, thinking, what if I don’t come back up, even with a life jacket on?

When it was my turn, the instructor counted to two. I was getting ready to jump, and before I could fully process what I planned to do, he pushed me in. Brothers and sisters, I struggled. I fought hard for my life because it felt like I would drown in that dirty, salty water. Of course, that didn’t happen as I came back up. It was an exhilarating yet terrifying experience.

I said my story to highlight two reasons I shouldn’t have been worried and how that applies to the Christian in this world.

The first is that I had already seen other people go in and come out. One confidence booster for your life should be the faithfulness of God in your life or in the lives of others. Whatever the situation is, there are people around us or even better, the Bible who have gone through the same things and have come out fine. We are to draw strength and comfort from that.

Second is that if I trusted that the life jacket would do its work, then I would make it. For the sake of this illustration, let’s think of the life jacket as the hold of God on your life as a Christian. Do you really believe that God is powerful enough and that He has your life in His hands?

We have to start training ourselves to rely on God. Throw yourself in with the confidence that by the help of God, you will be alright.

I couldn’t swim in that sea, but I had a life jacket and a rope to hold on to until I was out. Not that Israel is sufficient in himself, but my sufficiency is of God. I believe it with all my heart, and I want you to do the same.

The reason I know that whatever awaits me this year will be scaled is because my sufficiency is of God.

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There are restrictions like this for many things everywhere.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. This means he was very respected and must have been a very ardent follower of the law, and pious to an extent. Jesus told this man that if a man is not born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. He then explained what that means (check John 3 for the full story and context). The fact that Jesus deemed it fit to tell this man about being born again lets us realize that it has nothing to do with societal status or estimation of righteousness.

The man then asked Jesus how what He was explaining would happen, and He replied, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”

I find this really funny, and it almost seems like shade. It was as if He was telling him, so what have you now been reading and teaching people all these years, olodo? I’m sure He didn’t mean this. I’m being dramatic, don’t mind me 😂

Some people are like the Pharisee: they seem to be living a morally upright life and not needing salvation. But with Jesus, this does not count. What counts to Him is that whoever believes in Him has eternal life.

In John 4, Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman. The first problem was: what are you, a Jew, doing speaking to a Samaritan? There was hostility between Jews and Samaritans, and you can see it in the woman asking Jesus why He would ask someone like her for water. To make things even worse, she was a Samaritan woman who had been promiscuous and He knew it. Jesus still answered her questions, revealed that He was the Messiah, and offered her eternal life.

The vilest offender by your estimation, and the best-behaved person without Jesus, both need to hear about the salvation God has provided in Christ Jesus.

There’s one offer I know that has no discrimination attached, and it’s the offer of eternal life.

The birth of Jesus has made eternal life possible for everybody. Short kings, guess what? You don’t have to be tall to receive eternal life. This one can be received by anyone. Whether Jew, Chinese, Igbo, light-skinned or not, bald-headed or not, rich or poor, male or female. Jesus said whosoever believes. You fall in the category: whosoever.

Jesus gave the most priceless gift for free.

Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift.

Merry Christmas.

I pray for you and your family that you enjoy the best of God, and you experience the peace and Joy that comes from him.

Glory to God!

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God, speaking about the work He will do in salvation, making us righteous, said it will have an effect of peace, and the result will be quietness and assurance that will last forever. Beloved, the plan of God is not for you to live in constant fear of your salvation or wondering if He is angry with you or still loves you. God wants us to be confident that He has made us right with Him.

That thing you do when you hear a loud noise or a trumpet sound, and then you start scanning around to see if some people are still here or if they have left you, is not of God. When you sleep off and do not see your roommates or family members anymore and you get worried that you may have missed it, relax. If you are in Christ, you are going to be fine.

We have peace with God. God is not Obatala that you have to do some rituals for and appease before you have access to him.
Never again run from praying because you are analyzing how angry God is with you based on how badly you may have behaved. The confidence should not come from our actions; it comes from knowing that we are not justified by our acts, but by faith through Christ. Do not go to bed in fear again that you are not going with the saints when Christ returns. Read those words to yourself again: we have peace with God.

Isaiah 53:5-7 ESV
[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7a] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, ...

In the Old Testament, the people laid their hands on a spotless lamb, and the priest offered it yearly for atonement. But in Christ, the Lamb without blemish became the High Priest who offered Himself once for all.

The atonement in the Old Testament was a yearly reminder of sins and could not make anyone perfect (Hebrews 10:1–3). Jesus is a better sacrifice, and His work is eternal. The Bible says He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

Child of God, I know you have been trained to work for everything, but God wants to give you peace. You are not living, walking on eggshells. You have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, and this redemption is eternal.

We have peace with God.

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I’m an MCU fan and that movie, Infinity War, is arguably my favourite ever. I came across a video of Sean McDowell describing how there’s a consistent theme in the movie of characters displaying love through sacrifice. Thor and Loki are brothers, and Loki has to make a decision whether to give up one of the Infinity Stones or allow Thanos to kill his brother. Star-Lord has to make a decision, at Gamora’s (his girlfriend) request, to end her life in order to prevent Thanos from getting the Soul Stone. Wanda has to decide whether she would end Vision’s (her lover) life to prevent Thanos from getting the stone in his head. Doctor Strange also makes a decision to sacrifice the Time Stone to save Iron Man, at least in the moment. Even Thanos has to sacrifice something he loves in order to get the Soul Stone.

Dr. McDowell points out that the question in Infinity War is: what is the value of human life, and when can we sacrifice it?

You might not really know it, but this has an appeal to your heart that makes you even more emotionally invested in the movie, because at the end of the day, we know innately that true love shows up in sacrifice.

A die-hard fan of any sports team knows this. You’re willing to sacrifice studying for exams you have the next day if your team is playing a final because you love them. I don’t know if that’s the right choice of sacrifice, but you get my point. Don’t try it at home.

It is not always about what you say, but what you spend your time, money, and energy on that reveals what you love. We know what we love most by what we are willing to sacrifice for.

The story in Infinity War wraps up in Endgame, where we see Iron Man lay down his life, which was one of the one in fourteen million possibilities in which they could defeat Thanos. Tony Stark was a billionaire, playboy, and a jerk who could have stayed in his mansion and turned a blind eye but love and responsibility changed him. The man who once lived for himself gave his life so others could live. Touching story of sacrifice.

Jesus was definitely not a playboy or a jerk, neither was He a billionaire on earth who lived selfishly. Rather, He was God in human form through the incarnation. The mighty God emptied Himself, took on flesh, and died on the cross to save mankind.

Love truly is sacrifice, and everyone knows it. It is written so deeply in our hearts that we cannot escape it. When we see someone lay down his life to save his friends, we all recognize it as beautiful. Jesus sacrificed Himself not only to save His friends, but even His enemies.

The Son of God gave His life so that men like you and I, who were once far off could become sons of God. By believing that through the sacrifice of Christ the price for your sins has been paid and that God now counts you as righteous, you become part of God’s family.

God wants us in His family. He wants children. You know how in movies, when a couple wants to adopt a child, they avoid the terribly behaved ones and look for those who are least likely to give them problems. You’re like the child with a lot of problems who should be avoided, but God still goes for you. He wants to adopt you.

This is love, lavish love at that. The thrice holy God wants to relate with men who have sinful hearts, and He gives His life to make it happen. He wants you to accept it by believing. Be secure in His love.

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One of the most satisfying and pleasurable feelings of all time is when you drink chilled water after a long, hot day or right after strenuous physical activity. It slaps different. If I could capture that experience and relive it anytime I wanted, what a joy that would be.

I strongly believe that innate in every man is a God induced spiritual thirst and a longing for satisfaction. Many have chosen rather to suppress it. Well, Jesus is saying that He has the solution to the world’s thirst (not literal this time).

Once again, Jesus speaks figuratively. He was not selling or giving out cold water at the feast. Jesus loved to use the physical to point to the spiritual. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is revealed to be the fountain of living water (John 4:4–26).

Just as we need physical water to give life to our bodies, even more we need living water to give life to our spirits.

If you haven't put your faith in Christ, you cannot have this experience, because Jesus' answer can only be attained by believing in Him and, in so doing, receiving the Holy Spirit. Through Christ’s redeeming sacrifice on the cross, you can experience intimate fellowship with God. It is only in a restored relationship with God that the soul’s thirst is satisfied.

For the believer, if you're feeling dry, Jesus says, come and drink. You have to take the steps of reaching out, call out to Him, and let Him fill you from His endless spring. All He needs is your desire and response.

This fountain of living water flows from Jesus Christ to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 7:39). The way to not feel dry is to engage the Spirit. Spend some time praying and engaging His Word.

It doesn't matter how long you have gone on being lethargic and not healthy spiritually; there is a gusher inside you that can be stirred. Do activities that stir up the Spirit of God on your inside. You can be aglow again, you can get wet, you can refresh.

I have friends who do this cute thing of using a straw to drink bottled water. I consider it cute, but I believe there is an amount of thirst that, when you experience it, you do not sip, you down it.

Leave convenience, it's time to drop the straw and gulp.

Like water to a thirsty soul, Jesus refreshes our spirit.

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Luke 14:26 ESV

[26] “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Anyone who has read the bible a little bit knows that one of the most emphasized attributes a Christian is expected to portray is Love for people. How then can Jesus say to hate people?

Love is so important to God that Jesus told his disciples it was the chief of all the commandments. An entire chapter in Corinthians was dedicated to talking about love and ended like this “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV).

I did a write up on the believer’s love walk, you should check it out (Click here )

The word hate used in Luke 14:26 in the Greek is miseō, which means “to prefer less.” It implies a sense of comparison as if to say that when we see how much you love Jesus in comparison with your loved ones, it will look like hate.

In the category of unending debates is the Avatar one. Aang vs. Korra, who is the better Avatar? I personally love Aang so much that it almost looks like I hate Korra, even though I don’t and I know it’s the same for many others who share my sentiments. Though it’s definitely not the best example, I hope it conveys the point.

There is an apostolic instruction to honour your father and mother (Ephesians 6:1), so in case you want to use what Jesus said as an excuse to fight your parents, that’s not normal.

The Bible teaches that anyone who does not provide for their relatives and especially for their own household has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1st Timothy 5 Vs 8)

How you treat your family is very important to God. He wants you to love and care for them, so He is not teaching you to despise them but to understand priority. God is to be loved more. Even if our parents don’t believe in Jesus, we must stay faithful. If we ever have to choose between our family and Jesus, we should choose Jesus. If our family rejects us for being Christians, we must keep following Him.

It’s a tough statement. That is why the next thing Jesus tells you is that to be his disciple, there is a cross to carry. Part of carrying the cross is being ready to always make Jesus the top priority regardless of what happens.

When what we’re willing to do for the cause of God is considered, it will look like we hate our own lives. This is the reality of the Christian faith. We love the Lord with all our being and are willing to be uncomfortable for His sake.

Discipleship 101 involves counting the cost. Have you learned to see Jesus as most important? Is your heart totally sold out to Him?

Take this as a call to consecration, a chance to reorder your priorities and set your heart right. God is calling you deeper.

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John 6:53 ESV

[53] So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Was Jesus preaching cannibalism?

Interestingly, there is a story in the Bible where a human was eaten.

The city of Samaria was under siege by the king of Syria and was cut off. Famine became so severe that even worthless scraps of food were sold at high prices. As the king of Israel walked along the city wall, a woman cried out for help and when he asked what her trouble was, she revealed a shocking story.

She and another woman had agreed to eat their sons to survive. They killed and ate her child first, but when it was the other woman’s turn, she hid her son. Hearing this, the king tore his clothes in grief, realizing how far the nation had fallen under God’s judgment, just as He had warned long before (check 2 Kings 6:24–31 for reference).

In Leviticus 26:27–29, God warns that disobedience will bring such distress that "you shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters."

Human life is sacred (Genesis 9:6). Cannibalism directly violates that principle. The Bible presents cannibalism only as a horrific sign of judgment and extreme desperation when people turn away from God. It is never condoned, never commanded, and always portrayed as the lowest, most tragic outcome of rejecting God.

Jesus could not have been teaching such a thing. When He said to eat His flesh and drink His blood, He was definitely speaking metaphorically.

I once had a strange experience at a prayer meeting where we were asked to do really out-of-place things. The leader of the prayers told us to stretch out our hands, saying they would feel heavy, and that we could eat the bread that would be there. As if that wasn’t enough, he went on to say we should drink from our hands, claiming it was blood of some sort.

How ridiculous! I was so ignorant. I can’t believe I indulged in those things. Looking back, we were engaging in cult-like behavior in what was supposed to be a Christian prayer meeting.

When we consider the entire John 6 in context, we will find it easier to understand what Jesus said.

In John 6, Jesus fed 5,000 people. Because of this, the crowd followed Him wanting more food. Jesus told them not to focus on physical bread but on the food that brings eternal life.

The contrast Jesus made between physical food and spiritual food set up His strong words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He was showing that He Himself is the true spiritual bread we need. He emphasized this three times (John 6:35, 48, 51). Jesus also made it clear that the way to receive this bread is not through physical eating, but through believing in Him (John 6:40, 47).

To make sure people didn’t take Him literally, Jesus clarified: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. My words are Spirit and life” (John 6:63). Sadly, many stayed stuck on the physical meaning and walked away, missing the spiritual truth.

While the practice of breaking bread together and drinking wine as communion is a biblical church practice, that is not what Jesus was referring to in the context of John 6:58–59. You don’t live forever or have eternal life because you ate bread and drank wine with God’s people.

The Fijians, once known as the “Cannibal Isles,” practiced ritual cannibalism in the 19^th century not out of hunger but as a spiritual act tied to the concept of mana. They believed that by consuming the flesh of their enemies, especially war captives, they could absorb their strength and spiritual power.

Eating human flesh is associated with paganism and depravity, never as something holy or acceptable.

The only time eating flesh and drinking blood is acceptable is with Jesus and this speaks of believing in Him. Putting your faith in Jesus is likened to embracing Him as the spiritual food necessary for your living.

I have eaten of His (Christ) flesh and drunk of His blood. Therefore, I live by His life. The life of Christ is in me.

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Have you ever read your Bible and then found out that a song you sang was actually taken from the Scriptures? So, you knew God’s Word without ever having to read and memorize it. Have you ever been busy going about your day, and a random song pops into your head from nowhere? Or have you been in situations where everything seems like it's falling apart, but a song wells up in you and you feel at peace afterward? I'm trying to tell you that songs are more powerful than you think.

Paul gives an instruction to sing and to do it with your heart. Singing is not a less spiritual activity. It’s not something we do casually just because we like music or the vibes.

So, why do we sing spiritual songs? I want to give a few important reasons.

They are a good expression of worship.

Just like the creatures in heaven cried out when they beheld the glory of God, in view of God’s glory and nature, we sing out in worship. The mere understanding that “Holy, holy, holy is our God, and the earth is full of His glory” births in us a response that we can express through songs.

It helps build convictions about God and you, the believer.

The lyrics of any Christian song should be able to pass as a mini sermon because, in actuality, they aim to achieve the same thing, except that one has melody and a nicer tune to it. For the believer, songs should contain lyrical theology and this is why making Christian music is a sacred role that must be treated with as much care as teaching God’s Word. Bad doctrine in songs will mislead many people. Songs are meant to teach and edify as well.

I believe it was Pastor Dolapo Lawal I heard say that when you sing something like “God is great, God is powerful,” you begin to realize that if this God really is great and He is for you, or better still, lives in you, then you start to see yourself differently. After all, if you have a great God, then there is no challenge too big for Him to handle. This is one of the blessings of worshipping with songs: in seeing and basking in the character of God, His communicable attributes begin to rub off on us.

Songs are weapons.

There is a reason you might exercise better when you're blasting music or a motivational speech with a powerful sound in the background. You feel like you can handle something you normally wouldn’t be pumped for, or push through even more despite how tired you might feel. Joy can well up in your heart just by singing certain songs and this becomes a strategy for tough times. You rejoice to be strong. Some songs are meant to prepare you for victory. Rejoice, knowing that God has already won it on your behalf.

Worship is a hack when you’re too tired to pray.

You can sing to the Lord when you can’t pray. It’s not only in church that we sing unto God. Even in your personal devotion, sing unto the Lord. The Psalmist poured out his heart to the Lord in song. Stop looking down on those moments when you don’t feel like speaking prayers but find yourself able to sing them. Sing to your God, child of God, express yourself.

It helps curate a consciousness and condition an atmosphere.

Have you noticed that if you play Spirit filled songs for a period of time, even if you didn’t plan to pray, you begin to feel like praying? It is a skill to learn how to soak in a song. Repeat it and keep repeating it until you start to reap the gains.

Stop being casual about psalms, hymns, and songs of worship.

Mean the words. Let your heart feel them. Respond.

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I have something you should check out.

https://www.instagram.com/thisiscom.pass?igsh=ZXJraHY5azI5N2p1

Compass has some really good recommendations when it comes to Christian music. I think you should follow and utilize this.

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There’s a reason why when people have children, they become more serious with life. People who had long term habits like gambling or alcohol addictions or just an extreme nonchalance about life suddenly want to drop all those things because a child has come into the picture. They know that if they don’t make the changes, someone or something they care about will be affected. A life is at stake.

You should have reasons to be able to speak like Paul did here. Has someone, or a godly desire to help others ever pulled on your heart so strongly that you felt like if you didn’t get serious, they would be in trouble?

The beautiful thing about taking up responsibilities is that it also reveals who we really are to us. David, if he had sat at home playing with rocks and sticks, refusing to commit to watching over his father’s sheep, would never have known that he could kill a bear and a lion with his hands. The shepherd boy had no doubts he could face Goliath because he had handled those wild creatures.

The little things we might be avoiding and shying away from might be sabotaging our destiny in God. These seemingly small things might just be God’s training ground for us.

How do you know you can teach if you don't teach, lead if you don't lead, counsel if you don't speak to anybody, write if you don't attempt it, create content or make songs if you don't try it?

Take things up. Pray for people. Give charitably and be faithful with it. Serve and do it with your heart. Just respond to God's nudges. See what needs to be done, how you can contribute and fill the gaps.

God did not make you to consume all your life, and you won't get better that way. You are also meant to supply. We need what you have to offer. It might sound cliché, but no one can do it like you.

Your idleness might be the reason you're struggling with sin so much. There is too much space for the devil to fill up. Get those hands working. Get that mind working. It doesn't even have to be mainstream or in the spotlight. It just has to be adding.

Consecration is really between you and God, but there will be an expression of it that is communal. Let us benefit from it.

One of the ways we know you love God is that you love and serve the saints.

Learn to see how your refusal to grow affects God's plan. There are many people to be reached, so we can't afford not to be deliberate about what we do and how we do it.

It is a good thing and a great privilege to have a selfless vision. A vision that looks beyond personal gains. Allow your heart to be open and let people tug on it, causing you to strive to do God's work.

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The church is described in the bible as the body of Christ. Every Christian is a member of this body of Christ. If you claim that you love Christ, you must love the body of Christ (the church).

"Church people are hypocrites."

This is one of the most popular reasons why people don't go to church. Like I heard someone say, guess what? There's room for one more. Church is not for "good" people; it's a gathering of those who are living off the mercy of God. We don't claim to be perfect.

If we're being very honest, you'll realize that nobody lives up to their standards. We're all fallen. If your favourite artist made a really good song and I sing it, but do it very poorly, does that make the song a bad song? No. It only means I'm a bad singer who has misrepresented a very good artist.

The fact that you've met some people who attend church and don’t act like they should doesn’t invalidate the need for it. Just to add: because I'm not perfect and I am not the best person doesn't mean Jesus isn't. Because I'm not great doesn't mean Christianity isn't.

"There's nothing I'm going to hear in the church that I haven't heard before."

Maybe you're going to the wrong church. I know I've been hearing the Word of God for quite some time and there's still a lot to learn. Besides, the bedrock of conviction is repetition. You're not supposed to hear the Word of God once and be fine. You need to give your ears and fix your gaze on the same truths over and over again for your safety.

Let’s even assume you've heard all there is to learn. There is a service responsibility on every believer. Why not teach others what you claim to know so well?

"I was treated badly in that church."

This I consider to be the most sensitive of reasons to stay away from church. Church hurt is a real thing that people experience, but it's still not enough to abandon the Church. If you really value the Church, then what you should do is change churches, not stop going altogether.

Moreover, what's the point of a Church if all the people in it are fine and without blemish? Allow room for growth and forgive offense.

"My sheep" is a metaphor for reverent, obedient, loyal, and committed people gathering together regularly. Just as sheep move together and follow a leader, Jesus uses this to give us an idea of how He expects the Church to function.

Being a sheep requires a level of vulnerability that we often shy away from because of past experiences and the tendency to feel weak. To follow Jesus, we need humility and trust.

God’s Church is beyond buildings. It is more than throwing name tags around. It is more than wearing wristbands or pasting stickers on the things we own. It is an identity, a life system, a training ground that helps mould and shape us into the version God desires for us, as seen in His Word.

Pick a church where the Word of God is being taught and where you are being provoked to grow spiritually. Stop being casual. Look beyond ambience and hype that fizzles out. Commit and be grounded in the faith.

It's understandable when unbelievers are against the Church, but a believer who doesn’t like the Church or doesn’t take it seriously is not doing the will of God.

There are no perfect churches as there are no perfect people, yet God brings us together for his purpose. If church is important to God, it is important to me.

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Have you ever experienced watching a TV show or reading a book and talking about it with your friends, or better still, watching it with them? There's a different excitement and focus, and sometimes the only thing that even keeps you going when your interest begins to wane is that you're doing it with people. I remember having TV shows I watched with my family members growing up and how I always looked forward to them. In retrospect, it wasn't just about the shows being good, but that it was a thing we did as a family.

Community is one natural thing we all want and practice. It's very interesting how we see the need for this in most aspects of life, but many times don't implement it into our spiritual life. The all-wise God knows that we can't do the Christian life alone, so He gave the Church, which is a community and beyond that, a family. One of the devil's plans is to isolate you, separate you, because he knows gathering together is God's strategy. There is a strong attack on the idea of church because it's essential for the believer.

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

[24] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, [25] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

What God wants is that when we gather, we spur one another on. That someone can be struggling in a certain area, show up in the gathering of fellow believers, and because there's someone thriving in their area of struggle, just by proximity or even just watching them, they start to pick up.

Want to pray more? Find people who pray and be around them. Want to read your Bible more? Surround yourself with students of God's Word. Go where they are talking about it. Take fellowship with the saints seriously and watch the exponential growth you make.

What if you made up your mind that, come what may, you will always show up? You will attend the Bible study, attend the fellowship, go for your church service every Sunday without fail. If you do this regardless of how you feel, and you do it consistently, you won't harbor lethargy for long.

In my walk with God, many things really changed because of gatherings. I can trace all that I do well to fellowshipping with the saints. I learnt to pray fervently, reverence the Word, and do the things of the Spirit by being in the gathering of fellow believers.

Don't stay alone!

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One thing that concerns me so much is indifference. How can someone make a claim that he gives eternal life if you believe in him, and if you don't, there's eternal condemnation, and you totally ignore it and show no interest?

Like C.S. Lewis said, 'Jesus Christ must be one of three possibilities: a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord as he claimed.' If Jesus is who he claimed to be, the Son of God and Lord, then he is the Lord. Going by the things Jesus said and did, he has to be one of the three, and I've concluded he's Lord."

I think it's too weighty a claim to ignore. Sometimes, I understand atheists who have questions and feel they have good reasons to reject the gospel, even though they're wrong. But I've never understood people with no convictions whatsoever, who simply decide they aren't open to hearing the gospel.

I understand doubts, but I don't understand not searching for answers. I believe it was Tyler C. Staton who I heard say, 'Scream to the sky. God is not afraid of the questions you have. He's willing to answer, ask the questions.' And I promise you; there's no question you're likely to have now that someone hasn't already asked in the last 2,000 years. If after so long the Christian faith is still thriving and hasn't been disproved, then you should at least consider it.

I've always thought that people who are intelligent believe this Christian thing; they can't all be deceived. There are many intelligent Christians all around the world, me being one of them. Child of God don't let anybody gaslight you into thinking you're less intelligent for being a Christian. Many renowned scientists are Christians: Sir Isaac Newton, John Lennox, Michael Faraday, Blaise Pascal, Galileo Galilei, to name a few.

Lee Strobel was an atheist with a background in law and journalism. He used to pride himself on his skepticism. Looking for proof and backup is what he did with his life. He spent two years investigating the scientific and mainly historical data of the resurrection in a bid to disprove it after his wife decided to be a Christian. After his investigation, he concluded it was true; he believed.

There's no reason you've had for not being a Christian that the average Christian hasn't had before. What keeps us going is that, at the end of the day, it's called faith. We all choose to believe. Everyone wants 100% proof, but you're not going to get that. You can only be presented with evidence, and then you choose to believe or not. This is what we do every day in life. When you eat, you're not thinking that it’ll get stuck somewhere along your GI tract, but do you have 100% proof? No, you chose to believe.

You can see all the miracles in the world, talk to the smartest Christian apologist this earth has ever known, and have multiple dreams. These things can only bring you closer, but there will always be a jump that only you can make for yourself, a leap of faith you must take.

We are Christians because there was a man, Jesus, who walked the face of the earth. He died, was buried, and rose from the dead never to die again after three days, and this is not make believe—it's a historical fact.

If a man tells you he's going to die and resurrect, and he does it, he's worth listening to. Jesus offered us eternal life upon belief in him, and we trust that it's true because he walked the path of dying and rising already. So, we are simply 'following who know road.'

What Jesus is offering is eternal life, righteousness, forgiveness of sins, access to God, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. In the words of John Piper, 'The deepest and most enduring happiness I've found only in God. Not from God, but in God.

I'm not going to lie to you, the best decision I ever made in life is knowing Jesus and choosing to live for him.

Stop hardening your heart. Now is the time and hour of salvation. I don't know how else to put it than you must be born again. It's a serious matter.

Sin is still the problem. Jesus is still the answer. The Gospel still saves.

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Man has created many attempts to try and find God. Innate in everyone is a desire for something supernatural that is beyond them.

People say it's as if God is at the top of a mountain and man is trying to reach him, and there are different paths we can take to reach the mountain. The Christian message is that God Himself came down the mountain to meet us, because we could not make it up to Him. Jesus is the way.