✨ Stay teachable, wisdom grows when you are willing to listen and learn. 📲 Share this with someone who needs encouragement to keep learning. #Proverbs15 #Wisdom #TeachableHeart #GodlyCounsel #KeepLearning #GrowInWisdom #SeekWisdom #FaithInChrist #ChristianLiving #Lordsbook

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.

Spiritual growth requires more than good intentions. It requires training. https://patrickryanlewis.com/2026/08/19/train-yourself-for-godliness-the-discipline-of-a-life-devoted-to-christ/ In 1 Timothy 4:7–8, Paul tells Timothy: “Instead, train yourself for godliness.” Just as physical strength is developed through consistency, spiritual maturity grows as we intentionally spend time in God’s Word, pray, worship, serve, repent, and obey. The question isn’t simply, “Do I want to grow closer to God?” The deeper question is: What am I doing consistently that is training me to become more like Jesus? Our newest blog looks at Paul’s challenge to reject distractions, develop spiritual discipline, and invest our lives in something that has value not only for today—but for eternity. 📖 Read: “Train Yourself for Godliness: The Discipline of a Life Devoted to Christ” Don’t underestimate ordinary obedience practiced consistently. Read the Word. Pray. Worship. Serve. Repent. Reflect. Obey. Keep showing up. #TrainYourselfForGodliness #1Timothy4 #SpiritualDiscipline #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLiving #Discipleship #BibleStudy #Prayer #FollowingJesus #GrowingInChrist #Faithfulness #ChristianEncouragement

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APPLY THINE HEART UNTO MY KNOWLEDGE Hear • Understand • Apply ANCHOR SCRIPTURE Proverbs 22:17 (KJV) “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.” 1. LISTEN Wisdom begins with listening. A teachable heart grows; a stubborn heart stays stuck. Listen to God, wise counsel and correction. 2. UNDERSTAND Don't just hear—seek understanding. Proverbs 4:7 (KJV) “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Ask: What does this mean? How can I use it? 3. APPLY Knowledge becomes useful when you put it into practice. Knowledge informs; application transforms. Don't just know how to forgive—forgive. Don't just know how to pray—pray. Don't just read God's Word—live it. 4. KEEP LEARNING Stay humble and teachable. Learn from: 1. God's Word 2. Wise people 3. Experience 4. Correction 5. Your mistakes KEY LESSON 1. Listen carefully. 2. Seek understanding. 3. Apply what you learn. 4. Accept correction. 5. Keep growing. FINAL CHARGE Don't become someone who knows much but practises little. HEAR IT. UNDERSTAND IT. APPLY IT. LIVE IT. Knowledge in the head is information. Knowledge in action becomes wisdom. SHORT PRAYER Father, give me a teachable heart. Help me to hear Your Word, understand Your wisdom and apply it in my daily life. Give me humility to receive correction and grace to keep growing. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prepared by Rev. Frank Fabian Aidoo +233544295158

When we are born again, we are adopted by God. God is a good father, and he would never unadopt his children. He adopts us despite our iniquities, despite our transgressions, despite our ungodlyness, and we stay safe in that same blessed assurance. Since we are contained in such a magnificent and incredible grace, we are not, as some people think, encouraged to go out and sin with abandon and live a licentiously loose lifestyle. Quite the opposite, and that is why believers who are not following the direction of the Holy Spirit, which was imparted to them at the moment of belief in Christ as their only source and their only hope of salvation, their conscience convicts them. Couple that awful feeling of anxiety and guilt and remorse and regret with the devil whispering in their ears that they are no longer acceptable, and even believers will walk in shame rather than resting in faith knowing their sins are forgiven and their transgressions are forgotten despite the evil they have done or how bad they can become. Walk in faith then. Worship the God who saved us and saves us still. Trust him, be dependent upon him, listen to him, and live your life in honor of him. Do these things, not to keep your right standing with God, but because you believe that you already have right standing with God. That's exercising faith in Jesus and what he accomplished at the cross as sufficient for our eternal life. #jesuschrist #grace #believe #faith #cross

Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you. Yesterday was such a beautifully blessed day filled with hilarity, accomplishment, and love. With help from our guests, my storage unit is now empty and all that was left is now properly stored in my shed. My shed, appropriately named: All Things Not Garage, is tidy and does not look like anything that I would own. Now, the little garage which sits right beside the shed of all things not garage, it is a little more cluttered, but still does not look like anything that I would own … it is tidy-ish. My third yard got mowed without issue and I got me a nice hot bath. Played games on the phone with the littles, got cuddles and lots of giggles. However, the biggest event for my day was when we tried a new translation AP so that me and my friend could have a conversation. WE had a conversation … a conversation of giggles and hearty laughter. As we tried to talk slow, but fast enough and fast, but slow enough for the AP to understand two old ladies … let's just say the translations … well, some were good and correct; others were good for loud laughing. This actually got me in trouble, because my daughter-in-law was trying to put the kids to bed. In this transaction of trying to talk to each other without one of the kids being there to translate for us, these two old women laughed and bonded in love. Love for fun. Love for family. Love for the Spirit who wants us to understand each other a little better. Sometimes, as adults, we get too caught up in the adulting part of life that we forget to remember to have fun. We forget that we are allowed to laugh. We are allowed to let go. We are allowed to be free of all the adult rules from time to time and just act like kids. To let our bodies feel the ache of stomach cramps from laughing too hard and too much. We are allowed to live. This day even ended with hilarity. As I was saying my prayers and giving thanks, my mind was everywhere. Then when I went to recite the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hilarity be thy name….” I kid you not it took three tries before I got the words right. And yes, that caused even more laughing for me. Today I would like to encourage you to find that inner person who is screaming for laughter. Who is crying to have gut-wrenching aches from too many giggles. Do not allow the enemy to keep you from the beautiful smiles and joyful bliss of laughter. Being an adult is hard enough; do not take away your playtime. Find time today to enjoy the blessings, instigate laughter, and smile because it looks good on you. Be blessed. **For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. – Romans 8:20-21

Matthew 20:29-34 Sometimes the accounts of healings have one detail that makes us question everything. Here it is His question. “What do you want Me to do for You?” Now you would think this question had an obvious answer. It was two blind men calling out to Jesus so loudly the crowd was telling them to shut up. So he turns with this question. Did He Not know? No. Jesus is wanting them to voice it. They wanted to see. Their only hope of that happening was for Him to notice them and heal them. So they called out, then answered his question. You see, they wanted the healing, but it's at this point in ministry that Jesus has watched the newly healed turn from, Him without an ounce of gratitude. And now here's two more. Do they desire healing? Or is their concern more eternal in nature? Were these two going to thank Him for the healing or just walk away? Remember the healing of the cripple who was lowered from the rooftop into a house. That's when Jesus told him that his sins were forgiven before healing him. The more urgent matter for Jesus was this man's soul. When we come before the Lord, we pray for what we desire, not always necessarily what we need. Do not forget that these men and women allowed their handicap to be their occupation for a lifetime. Many were aware of the healing happening, few when asked address their need for forgiveness of sin. Jesus asks because the healing led to other issues. These grown adults were incapable of following a traditional career path. They would have to find a way to sustain their existence without relying on begging. And this would cause a financial issue for them. So what kind of fool would possibly begin to resent being made well? Keep in mind that many of those who were screaming for excitement at the healing were some of the same people who remained silent when Jesus was being crucified. We do the same thing today when we pray for temporary results. Our prayers should reflect more concern for the people's eternal consequences than for earthly temporal results. Friday we will interrupt the study on Matthew for a special lesson on the madness occurring today. Be here for “This is Baphomet.” [29] As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. [30] And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” [31] But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” [32] And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” [33] They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” [34] Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

~. . . And the evening and the morning were the 231st day. Good Morning, God's Beloved. On this 232nd day of 2026, might I suggest to you that when life itself seems like a stormy sea, there remains an Anchor to steady your soul . . .==> "Let us hold on to the hope we say we have without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." [Hebrews 10:23] [And as you RESPECT and LOVE one another as hard as you can, Please PLAY NICE, PRAY for one another, Distance-CHECK on your neighbors, and Keep a SMILE on your Faith.] (For more videos like this, subscribe to my YouTube channel, MelzMark Video Productions, at www.youtube.com/[VStMelz]) https://youtube.com/watch?v=sCz5D-TY4NY&is=sDCPJRgXN7pceScP

Guidelines for living. August 20th, 2026 What Does Agape Love Look Like? Love … doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others. 1 Corinthians 13:5 The Message When Sir Ernest Shackleton was exploring in the arctic, he faced a very difficult hour as their rations became depleted. Finally, the last biscuit had been given out to each of the men. There was not a crumb of anything left. That night Shackleton lay awake in his sleeping bag with their peril heavily on his mind. He knew that death by starvation was approaching unless something happened. As he lay there with thoughts he dared not express keeping him from sleep, out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement by one of his men. A cold chill came over him as he realized this man was stealthily reaching for the food bag of the man next to him. Shackleton still pretended to be asleep. His mind reeled; he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This was one of his most trusted men. Still, he knew that starving men sometimes act like predators. He was not disturbed for long, however. The man did reach for the food container of his companion … and then quietly took his own biscuit, his last one, and placed it in the other man’s parcel before lying down to sleep. That is the companionship and the cost of real love. To this Paul adds the words, “Love does not seek its own.” Another version puts it: “Love does not act in its own interest.” Love acting in its own interest is not the agape love that is described by Paul. When the expression of love does not embrace the total needs of the other person, it falls short of this test which Paul articulated. Agape love produces an unspoken commitment—without conditions or strings attached—to meet the needs of the person who is the object of affection, and along with that commitment comes personal sacrifice which is not difficult to make. “Love,” writes Paul, “is not easily provoked.” George Bernard Shaw once said, “I was taught when I was young that if people would only love one another, all would be well with the world. This seemed simple and very nice, but I found when I tried to put it into practice not only that other people were seldom lovable, but that I was not very lovable myself.” That’s the predicament we often find ourselves in—not only are others unlovable but when we are honest with ourselves we must admit we are not very lovable either. A gardener once wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and said, “I’ve tried everything I’ve ever heard or read, including all of your bulletins, on how to get rid of dandelions—and I’ve still got them.” By return mail he received the last word on the subject. “Dear Sir,” read the letter, “if you have tried everything and you still have dandelions, then there is only one thing left for you to do: learn to love them.” You know, we smile at that candid bit of advice, but life is much like a lawn full of dandelions. We want to be rid of them any way we can—kill them by spraying (that is, the dandelions), dig them, bomb them, pull them out—destroy them no matter what, just get rid of them! Nevertheless, at times, the dandelions of life hang in there, and God expects us to love them by the alchemy of faith and grace. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he told them God’s love comes through His Spirit who is given to us. That’s the only way to learn to really love. Resource Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7