Shimoni NTP Mission | 10th–17th August 2026 I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be part of the Shimoni NTP Mission. I went to Shimoni thinking I was mainly going to serve, but I came back realizing that God was also working on me. One of my biggest lessons was that mission is more than preaching. It is about understanding people, listening, serving, praying, and building genuine relationships. Through practical activities such as farming, community visits, and interactions with people from different backgrounds, I learned that service can become a doorway to relationships and opportunities to share Christ. God also challenged some of my assumptions about Muslim communities. I experienced people who were welcoming and hospitable, and I was reminded that relationship takes time, but relationship creates an opportunity to share the Gospel. John 10:16 especially spoke to me: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring…” I returned home with a greater burden for the underreached and unreached, but also with a personal challenge: I cannot wait to go somewhere far away before I begin living missionally. Mission begins where God has already placed me. Thank you to everyone who prayed, supported, and encouraged me throughout this journey. 🙏 I have left Shimoni, but the mission continues. 🌍❤️ #ShimoniNTP #Mission #Gospel #Discipleship #Prayer #Serving #GodsMission

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TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: YOUNG PEOPLE, DON'T WASTE YOUR YOUTH. Theme: Your Youth Is a Gift, Not a Season to Throw Away. «“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…” — Ecclesiastes 12:1 (KJV)» 🔥DON'T WASTE WHAT YOU CANNOT REPLACE Young person, you can recover lost money. You can replace a broken phone. You can rebuild a failed business. But you cannot recover yesterday. Youth is one of the greatest gifts God gives a person—and one of the easiest gifts to waste. You have energy today. You have time today. You have opportunities today. You have the ability to learn, build, serve, dream, pray, create and make a difference. But the enemy wants you to believe: «“You are still young. There is plenty of time. Enjoy yourself now. You will become serious with God later.”» That is a dangerous lie. The devil does not always destroy young people through terrible sins. Sometimes he destroys them through distraction. He keeps them busy but unproductive. Connected to everyone but disconnected from God. Entertained but empty. Informed but not transformed. Chasing popularity while losing purpose. Young people, don't waste your youth! Your youth is not merely for having fun. It is preparation for purpose. 1. REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR BEFORE YOU WASTE YOURYEARS Ecclesiastes 12:1 «“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…”» Solomon did not say, “Remember your Creator when you become old.” He said “now.” God deserves your youthful years—not merely the leftovers of your life. Many people say: «“When I get older, I will serve God.”» But what if God wants to use you now? David was young when he confronted Goliath. Samuel was young when God called him. Josiah was young when he became king and began reforming Israel. Timothy was young when Paul recognized his spiritual potential. Your age does not disqualify you from God's purpose. Deep Insight Youth is not an excuse for spiritual laziness. The earlier you surrender your life to God, the more years you can spend fulfilling His purpose. Don't give God your retirement. Give Him your strength. Don't give God your leftovers. Give Him your first fruits. 2. DON'T ALLOW PLEASURE TO STEAL YOUR PURPOSE 1 John 2:15–17 «“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world…”» There is nothing wrong with enjoying life. But there is a difference between enjoying God's blessings and becoming enslaved to worldly pleasures. Social media can become a distraction. Entertainment can become an addiction. Relationships can become an idol. Money can become a master. Sexual temptation can destroy destiny. And the desire to be accepted can cause a young person to compromise convictions. Ask yourself: What is consuming most of my time? Because what controls your time will eventually influence your life. You cannot spend five hours every day feeding your flesh and expect your spirit to remain strong. You cannot constantly consume content that weakens your values and expect your character to remain strong. Be careful what you repeatedly watch, listen to, follow, admire and imitate. 3. USE YOUR YOUTH TO BUILD, NOT JUST TO CONSUME 1 Timothy 4:12 «“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers…”» Paul did not tell Timothy: «“Because you are young, wait until you become older.”» He said: «“Be an example.”» Young people should not only be consumers. Build something. Learn a skill. Study the Word. Develop your character. Serve in church. Help people. Create something useful. Learn technology. Develop your gifts. Start preparing for your future. Don't spend your entire youth watching other people build their dreams. Remember this: Entertainment gives you moments. Development gives you capacity. Your future will demand skills you must begin developing today. Your character must grow alongside your career. Your spiritual life must grow alongside your education. Your wisdom must grow alongside your influence. 4. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS CAREFULLY Proverbs 13:20 «“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”» Not everybody who laughs with you is helping you. Not everybody who calls you “brother” or “sister” is taking you toward your destiny. Some relationships are assignments from God. Others are distractions from your purpose. Look at the people closest to you. Do they encourage you to become better—or pressure you to become worse? Do they respect your faith? Do they challenge you to grow? Can you say “no” around them without losing the friendship? Can you discuss your dreams with them? Can they correct you? Your environment matters. If you constantly surround yourself with people who celebrate foolishness, eventually foolishness will become normal to you. Choose friends who can pray with you, grow with you, correct you and walk with you toward God's purpose. 5. DON'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW TO OBEY GOD Ephesians 5:15–16 «“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”» Notice the phrase: “Redeeming the time.” Time is a currency you cannot save forever. Every day you receive 24 hours. You can waste them. You can invest them. But you cannot reverse them. There are young people who are praying for opportunities while wasting the opportunities already in their hands. Some are waiting for a miracle while refusing to develop discipline. Some are asking God for greatness while neglecting the small responsibilities He has already given them. Faith does not cancel responsibility. Pray—but prepare. Believe—but build. Trust God—but discipline yourself. Ask for opportunities—but develop the capacity to handle them. 📖 BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: JOSEPH — A YOUNG MAN WHO DID NOT WASTE HIS SEASON Joseph was young when his life suddenly changed. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery. He was falsely accused. He was imprisoned. Yet Joseph did not allow his circumstances to determine his character. Genesis 39:9 When tempted by Potiphar's wife, Joseph said: «“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”» Joseph understood something powerful: His future was more valuable than his temporary pleasure. He could have said: «“Nobody will know.”» But Joseph knew that God was watching. He could have compromised. He could have become bitter. He could have wasted his youth in anger. Instead, he remained faithful. And eventually, God lifted him from the prison to the palace. The lesson: Don't destroy tomorrow because of today's temptation. That relationship may be temporary. That pleasure may be temporary. That opportunity may be temporary. But the consequences of some decisions can follow you for years. Young person, protect your future. 🔥 DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS 1. Your youth is a seed season. What you plant now will influence what you harvest later. Plant prayer. Plant discipline. Plant knowledge. Plant integrity. Plant service. Plant righteousness. 2. Your habits are building your future before you see it. You may not see the harvest today, but your daily decisions are constructing tomorrow. 3. God is more interested in your character than your popularity. You may impress thousands of people online and still disappoint God privately. Character is who you are when nobody is watching. 4. Not every open door is a God-given opportunity. Some doors are traps disguised as opportunities. Learn to ask: «“Lord, is this good for me—or merely attractive to me?”» 5. Your greatest battle may not be against people; it may be against distraction. A distracted generation can have enormous potential and accomplish very little. Protect your attention. What captures your attention repeatedly can eventually shape your direction. ✅ PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Starting today: 1. Give God the first part of your day. Pray. Read Scripture. Listen for God's direction. 2. Set goals for your life. Spiritual goals, educational goals, financial goals, relational goals and career goals. 3. Learn valuable skills. Don't depend only on certificates. Develop practical competence. 4. Control your phone; don't let your phone control you. 5. Choose your friends intentionally. 6. Avoid sexual and moral compromises. 7. Find a mature Christian mentor. 8. Serve somewhere. Don't just attend church—be useful in God's house. 9. Stop comparing your journey with other people's journeys. 10. Start now. Don't wait until everything is perfect. 🤔 QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION Take a moment and answer these honestly: - If I continue living exactly as I am today, where will I be five years from now? - What am I doing with my time? - What habit is secretly destroying my potential? - Who are the people influencing my decisions? - Am I becoming closer to God or farther from Him? - What gift has God placed inside me? - What am I doing to develop that gift? - What temptation am I repeatedly entertaining? - What should I stop doing? - What should I start doing? - If Jesus returned today, would I be satisfied with how I used my youth? 🙏 POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Prayer for Purpose Father, open my eyes to understand Your purpose for my life. Help me not to wander through life without direction. 2. Prayer for Wisdom Lord, give me wisdom to make decisions that will preserve my future and honor You. 3. Prayer Against Distraction Every distraction assigned to waste my time, weaken my faith and derail my destiny, I reject it in Jesus' name. 4. Prayer for Discipline Holy Spirit, give me the discipline to do what is right even when nobody is watching. 5. Prayer for Purity Lord, keep my heart, mind and body pure. Give me strength to overcome every temptation that seeks to destroy my future. 6. Prayer for Good Relationships Father, connect me with people who will strengthen my faith, sharpen my character and help me fulfill my purpose. 7. Prayer for Courage Lord, give me courage to stand for truth even when my generation is going in the opposite direction. 8. Prayer for Impact Father, let my life become a blessing to my generation. May I not pass through this world without making a positive difference. 🔥 STRONG CLOSING: DON'T WASTE YOUR YOUTH Young person, you are not too young for God to use you. You are not too young to pray. You are not too young to preach. You are not too young to serve. You are not too young to lead. You are not too young to build. You are not too young to make a difference. David had a sling. Joseph had a dream. Samuel had a listening ear. Timothy had youthful strength. And God used them. What is in your hands? What gift is inside you? What dream has God placed in your heart? What are you doing with the years God has given you? Don't wait until you are old before you become serious with God. Don't spend your best years chasing things that cannot satisfy your soul. Don't exchange your destiny for temporary pleasure. Don't allow social media to consume the years that should be building your future. Don't let fear paralyze you. Don't let failure define you. Don't let your past imprison you. Rise. Pray. Learn. Build. Serve. Grow. Your youth is not a waiting room. Your youth is a training ground for destiny. And when you stand before God one day, may you be able to say: «“Lord, I did not waste what You gave me.”» FINAL CHARGE Young people, don't waste your youth. Give God your strength. Give God your gifts. Give God your dreams. Give God your time. Give God your future. And watch what He can do with a life that is completely surrendered to Him. Your youth is passing. Your purpose is waiting. Start today. If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do you by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my selar/amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks https://afrikdp.com/book/d3f4fa1c7e CONTACT - Whatsapp +2349024173027, +2449055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com

Ridge City Church has come so far from the beginnings when we had to find a different place each Sunday to hold services. To renting a local American Legion hall for a few months, to a six month rental of a worn out old church building which had not been in use for five years. To where the church is now. A building capable of handling the ministry activities and to being accessible within a neighborhood where locals can actually walk to church. A building is not the main thing. You don't have to have a building to have church. But, it does make things a lot easier.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 ✍️ “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰, 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘶𝘦.” Some tasks feel important because people notice them. Others seem so ordinary that we wonder whether they matter at all. We answer emails, clean rooms, finish assignments, serve quietly, raise families, and fulfill responsibilities that may never receive applause. Yet Scripture gives ordinary work eternal weight. The question is not whether our task looks significant—but whether we are doing it for Christ. Paul writes in 🕮 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟐𝟑, “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦 𝘥𝘰, 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯.” The command reaches beyond church ministry into every legitimate responsibility God has placed before us. Whether our work is public or hidden, celebrated or unnoticed, Christ is the true Master we serve. A craftsman may spend hours working on something nobody will ever see inside a finished building. Yet he works carefully because he knows what he is building matters. So it should be with us. Heaven sees what earth overlooks. The unseen task, the ordinary duty, and the quiet responsibility can all become worship when they are done faithfully before the Lord. Scripture teaches and reminds us that our labor matters to God. “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦 𝘥𝘰, 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥” (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟎:𝟑𝟏). “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴” (𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟑:𝟏𝟕). We do not work for applause; we work for approval from above. Our workplace, home, church, and daily responsibilities can become places where Christ is honored. The audience of our work is ultimately not man—it is God. “𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯” (𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟔:𝟕). Don’t work like a mouse that only moves when the cat is away. We are not called to perform when people are watching and relax when they are gone. The task may be ordinary, the audience may be small, and the reward may be unseen—but the Lord sees every faithful hand. Before Christ called us to work, He worked for us. He “𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳” (𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝟏𝟎:𝟒𝟓). The risen Lord now sends us as His servants, not to chase recognition, but to glorify Him in all we do. “𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩” (𝐇𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝟏𝟐:𝟐). Are you treating your ordinary responsibilities as interruptions or as opportunities to glorify Christ? What task have you been doing reluctantly because nobody seems to notice? You don't need Christ merely to make your work successful—you need Him to make your work worship. Whatever your hands find to do, do it for Him. The task may be ordinary, but the One we serve is not. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving meaning even to the ordinary work You place before us. Forgive us for seeking human recognition or despising unnoticed tasks. Teach us to work faithfully, joyfully, and wholeheartedly, remembering that we serve Christ above all. May everything we do bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Remember, a dose of God’s Word a day will keep you going all day! 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝... _____________________________________________________ All scripture references were taken from the KJV Bible. Thank you for allowing this ministry to be a part of your day… If my posts speak to your heart, you may be blessed by the full devotional series created for deeper reflection and journaling: 👉 FREE FlipBook Previews: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ae17998766.html 📚 Also available now on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback) ✨ Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! https://www.amazon.com/author/dennislastimoso Also, just in case you need a reliable, dedicated online Bible Study Tool, I created one for you. 👉 Try it here for FREE, anytime at your hand: https://www.baptistry.app Your support helps us continue this ministry, edifying the believers around the world. May God bless you more abundantly…

For about two years, Patsy and I served as lead pastors in a small church in the city we were living in at the time. the church had been, well, just just way the church was abandoned. Patsy and I knew that He was not finished with the ministry of that church, so we picked it up, literally from nothing and rebuilt it from the ground up. The church grew from the restart where we had often less than twenty people on a Sunday morning, to seeing attendance grow to around one hundred on most Sundays. We were able to see a vibrant and anointed praise and worship team, a children's church ministry, and a great youth ministry. And we moved from an old rented too small church building to one with much more opportunity for growth and for service. Of course we did not do that all by ourselves, even though at the beginning, it was rough going, and every pastor who has built up a church from nothing understands that well. God sent us great team members to help carry the load. In January of 2026 we were able to turn the pastoral position over to our associate pastor, allowing him and his wife to take the church to the next level. Our work had been accomplished so it was time to turn over the reins and step aside. That was when we moved from that city to our current home in Florida.

Building Blocks To Growing In Jesus… SENSITIVITY AND SUBMISSION TO GOD’s WORD Proverbs 3:1-2 — "My son, don't forget my instruction. Let your heart guard my commands, because they will help you live a long time and provide you with well-being." Psalm 119:105 — "Your word is a lamp before my feet and a light for my journey." Walking the path of faith requires a steady anchor and a discerning heart. In a world full of shifting opinions, loud voices, and subtle spiritual errors, God has not left us to guess. He has given us His living, active Word as a reliable standard to guide our steps, protect our minds, and draw us closer to Him. True spiritual sensitivity begins when we approach the Scriptures with a humble and teachable spirit. Instead of forcing our own desires onto the text, we allow the Bible to search our hearts, correct our motives, and shape our character unfolding a life of genuine obedience and daily renewal. This kind of submission is not a burden; it is an act of deep trust in a loving Father who knows what is best for us. When we hide God's truth in our hearts, we build a natural defense against deception arming our minds with discernment and anchoring our souls against the shifting tides of the world. We learn to spot the counterfeits—messages that flatter human pride, promise cheap grace, or distort the character of Jesus Christ. Grounded in Scripture, we can test every teaching against the unchanging truth of the Gospel. Ultimately, submitting to God's Word transforms how we live each day. It moves us from merely hearing spiritual truths to actively putting them into practice through love, obedience, and service. As we let His word be a lamp to our feet, we walk with confidence, knowing we are anchored in the truth that never fails. The key to having true sensitivity to God’s Word involves our having true discernment working in our lives on a daily basis: True discernment always uses the Bible as the final authority. It is not based on gut feelings, cultural trends, or personal intuition. How it works: Just as a bank teller is trained to spot counterfeit bills by studying real currency exhaustively, a believer sharpens discernment by deeply knowing the absolute truth of God's Word. Discernment is not merely an intellectual skill; it is a spiritual fruit made possible by a close walk with God. How it works: The Holy Spirit actively lives inside every believer to act as an internal compass, giving a sense of spiritual alignment or warning when something contradicts God's character. Truth always produces godliness, humility, love, and a high view of Jesus Christ. Error eventually produces pride, division, exploitation, or unrepentant sin. How it works: When evaluating a teaching, movement, or leader, look past the initial presentation or emotional appeal to examine the long-term character and spiritual fruit it leaves behind. CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me a discerning heart anchored deeply in Your unchanging Word. Protect my mind from deception, and let Your Holy Spirit guide my every step. Help me to test all things with your wisdom Lord, walk in humble obedience, and reflect the love of Jesus Christ in a world so easily lost in the dark. Amen.

DAILY LEADERSHIP BOOST (DLB) THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST 2026 HE IS COMING LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV Leaders, there is no announcement date on heaven’s calendar. Jesus is coming like a thief in the night. Sudden. Unexpected. Without warning to the world. Peter said the day of the Lord will come “as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”_ 2 Peter 3:10. That means this world as we know it will end abruptly. And every leader will give account. Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” This truth is not given to scare us. It is given to sober us. Because when a thief is expected, the wise owner stays awake. Luke 12:39-40 - “And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched... Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” The danger for leaders is not unbelief. It is slumber. It is doing Kingdom work with a casual heart. It is building with wood, hay and stubble because we assume we have time. 1 Corinthians 3:13. But the day is approaching like a thief, and it will test every work. So how do we live when the coming is sudden? Walk in constant readiness. Not fear, but readiness. Keep short accounts with God. Confess quickly. Forgive quickly. Walk in the light. 1 John 1:7. Let your lamp be full of oil. Matthew 25:4. A thief does not wait for you to get ready. He meets you as you are. Guard your heart against surprise and sin. The reason people are caught off guard is because they are distracted. Luke 21:34 _“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”_ Watch what you watch. Watch what you feed on. Watch who you follow. A thief enters through open doors. Stay faithful in your assignment. The faithful servant is the one found _“so doing”_ when the master returns. Matthew 24:46. Keep preaching. Keep serving. Keep praying. Keep building people. Don’t drop your post because the night is long. The trumpet could sound on an ordinary Thursday. Leaders, our people are watching us. If we are careless, they will be careless. If we are awake, they will be awake. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that day should overtake you as a thief... Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” We don’t know the day or the hour. Matthew 24:36. But we do know the Master. And He said He is coming. So we live every day like it could be today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VafVatb11ulKTDXcjL3X Prayer For Today Father, thank You for the warning in Your word. I refuse to be caught sleeping. Wake my spirit. Purify my heart. Help me to walk in readiness every day. Keep me faithful in my assignment, sober in my walk, and passionate for souls. Let the day of the Lord not overtake me as a thief. Prepare me and prepare the people You have given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Today's Declaration The Lord is coming like a thief in the night and I am ready. I walk in the light. I keep my lamp full. I am faithful in my assignment. I watch and I pray. I will not be overtaken by darkness. Bible Reading Plan 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 24:42-51, Luke 12:35-40, 2 Peter 3:8-14, Revelation 16:15, Mark 13:32-37 Today’s Action Leaders, do a “thief audit” today. Ask: “If Jesus came tonight, what would I regret?” Deal with it now. Repent, reconcile, or reset. Then check one area of your life or ministry that has become casual. Tighten it. Set the standard again. Teach your team: We don’t live in fear of His coming. We live in faithfulness because of His coming. Remember: A thief comes without notice. So we live every day with notice in our spirit.

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LOST IN THE CHURCH: [GETTING LOST IN CHURCH] Part Seven Worshipping the Word of God/Scripture. The Word of God, together with the Church, are among the things given to us for the purpose of salvation, to bring people to God, although they themselves are not God. Therefore, I can say that the Word of God is like a signpost pointing us to where Christ is. When a person ends up building his life upon the Word of God without going to Jesus Christ, this becomes the foundation of one of the greatest deceptions of religious spirits and idolatry in the Church. If you read John chapter five, you will see how the Lord spoke to those who had fallen into this kind of deception: > “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39–40 Today, many people have ended up in religious institutions, while others have ended up in Scripture, yet they have never truly come to Jesus to receive life. Jesus did not come to establish any religion or bring a system of laws to the world; rather, He came to restore the RELATIONSHIP between humanity and God—the relationship that was lost in Eden. It is within this relationship that salvation and eternal life are found. > “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3 A person can know all the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, and may even teach them with great skill and accuracy, yet never have encountered or truly known the Lord. It may be easy for someone to explain things about the Lord based on what they have heard from other people. However, it is completely different to know the Lord personally. Jesus is the Way and the Life. There is no way for anyone to come to the Father except through Him. And when He says that He is the Way, many people picture a dusty road, a gravel road, or a paved road. But the Way He is talking about here is a Person. To know the way to heaven is to know a Person. And you cannot truly know Him without having a relationship with Him. > “Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:23 It is entirely possible for someone to preach, teach the Word of God, cast out demons, and perform many works of the Kingdom, yet still not know the Lord—and likewise, not be known in Heaven. It is easy for a person to build a name for himself and become famous on earth, but it is very different to be known in Heaven. Many of the things we glorify on earth are often considered worthless before God. Therefore, it is possible for someone to be well-known in Heaven while having no name or recognition on earth. Glorifying the Word More Than the One Who Gave the Word There has been a very strange tendency among people to glorify the Word of God more than God Himself, who gave the Word. In this way, many people hold on to what God said yesterday against what He is saying today. For example, it is possible for God to say “Yes” yesterday concerning a particular matter and say “No” today, according to His will and timing. If we have not learned how to walk with the Lord, it is very easy to cling to a dead word, which undoubtedly becomes an idol. In this way, we have many churches today that have died because they continue holding on to a dead word. The Apostle Peter is one of the examples in Scripture of someone who almost made such a painful mistake. He resisted the Lord’s command concerning the animals, relying on the earlier word from the same God who had declared those animals unclean. However, by His great mercy, the Lord corrected Peter and told him: > “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” Acts 10:15 #ToBeContinued..! Mwl. Ernest Nyalula WhatsApp: +255 616 609 885 #LostInTheChurch #JesusChrist #WordOfGod #Christianity #ChristianLife #FaithInChrist #KnowJesus #RelationshipWithGod #BibleTruth #SpiritualGrowth #KingdomOfGod #ChristianTeaching #FaithAndTruth #GodsWord #JesusIsTheWay #ChristianYouth #GospelTruth #WalkWithGod #KnowGod #ToBeContinued