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

*“The fruits of the Spirit ARE the life of the Spirit”* You can’t fake them. They only grow when the Holy Spirit is actually living in you. *Galatians 5:22-23 ESV* > “But the fruit of the Spirit is *love, joy, peace, patience/long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control*. Against such things there is no law.” Notice it says *“fruit”* — singular. Not 9 separate fruits. It’s _one_ fruit with 9 flavors. Just like an orange has segments, the Spirit produces one kind of life, and it shows up in all these ways. *What that means: “The life of the Spirit”* 1. *It’s not behavior modification* You can’t just try harder to be patient or joyful. Fruit grows. You abide, and the Spirit produces it. _John 15:5_ — _“apart from me you can do nothing”_ 2. *It’s evidence God is in you* A tree is known by its fruit. _Matthew 7:16_ When people see love when you’ve been hurt, peace in chaos, self-control when you’re tempted — that’s the Spirit’s life showing. 3. *It’s the opposite of “works of the flesh”* _Galatians 5:19-21_ lists strife, anger, jealousy, outbursts. The Spirit’s life replaces that with His life. Where there was complaining → comes joy and thanksgiving Where there was quick anger → comes long-suffering Where there was fear → comes peace *How the fruit grows* Same way we talked about in Colossians 1:11 — _“strengthened with all might”_. The Spirit strengthens your inner man, and then the fruit comes out naturally. *Analogy*: You don’t tape apples to a branch. You water the roots. Spend time with God, obey Him, let Him strengthen you → and love, joy, peace just start showing up.

PROVERB OF THE DAY (Proverbs 20) 1. Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise. 2. The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life. 3. It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel. 4. The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing. 5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. 6. Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man? 7. The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. 8. A king who sits on the throne of judgment Scatters all evil with his eyes. 9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”? 10. Diverse weights and diverse measures, They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD. 11. Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right. 12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both. 13. Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread. 14. “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer; But when he has gone his way, then he boasts. 15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies, But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16. Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger, And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress. 17. Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. 18. Plans are established by counsel; By wise counsel wage war. 19. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips. 20. Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. 21. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end. 22. Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. 23. Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, And dishonest scales are not good. 24. A man’s steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way? 25. It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows. 26. A wise king sifts out the wicked, And brings the threshing wheel over them. 27. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. 28. Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne. 29. The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head. 30. Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.

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.

“For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them.” — 2 Peter 2:20–21 (CSB) Peter gives a serious warning about people who encounter the truth of Christ but later turn away and become entangled again in the corruption of the world. In the larger context, he is especially addressing false teachers whose lives and teachings reveal that they have rejected the truth they once knew. Greater knowledge brings greater responsibility, making deliberate rejection of God’s truth especially dangerous. This passage calls us to remain firmly rooted in Christ, allowing the truth we know to continually shape the way we believe and live.

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

Brenda Walsh Ministries Don’t Wait Any Longer. All too often you hear of Christians who were raised as children to love Jesus, but through the teen years drifted away. Some because of “rebellion,” others because of hard feelings with other church members, some stopped praying and reading their Bibles, and a million other reasons. Whatever the reason, once they quit going to church, it became harder and harder to find their way back. Many times, people have to hit “rock bottom” to look up and see their need for a Savior! You often hear of an adult losing a mother or father who was praying for them, and it shook them to the core, bringing them back to the Lord. Sometimes it takes losing every earthly possession and having nowhere else to turn before they turn to Jesus! Everyone needs the Lord, for He is our only hope of salvation and eternal life. Without Him, we are lost! Ask yourself today, “How healthy is my spiritual life?” “Do I put God first above everything else?” “Am I spending time with God each day, through prayer and Bible study?” “What does Jesus really mean to me?” Ask God to search your heart and open your eyes to areas that are lacking in your spiritual life. Remember, there is nothing too great or too small for God to forgive. If you have distanced yourself from your Lord and Savior, don’t wait any longer - run into His waiting arms today! Text: 1 John 1:9, James 5:11, Psalm 103:17, Romans 7:15

Gods Creation,100 / evolution,0 THE BEETLE THAT NAVIGATES BY THE STARS Most people would never look twice at a dung beetle. After all, it spends its day rolling balls of animal manure across the ground. Yet hidden inside this tiny insect is a navigation system that continues to amaze scientists. Dung beetles depend on manure for survival. Many species shape it into a ball and roll it away from the competition before burying it underground as a food source. That sounds simple enough until you realize how they do it. The beetles push the dung ball backward using their hind legs. Their heads face downward toward the ground. They cannot see where they are going. Yet somehow they travel in remarkably straight lines, avoiding competitors and efficiently reaching their destination. How do they do this? Scientists have discovered that dung beetles use the sun as a compass during the day. When the sun is hidden by clouds or directly overhead, they can switch to using wind direction. But one species, the African dung beetle Scarabaeus satyrus, takes things even further. It navigates by the night sky. Researchers found that these beetles can orient themselves using the polarized light of the moon and even the faint glow of the Milky Way. Think about that for a moment. A tiny insect, pushing a ball of dung backward across the African landscape, is using the stars to guide its path. The obvious question is how such a system came to exist. Evolutionists often argue that the beetle's behavior provides a survival advantage because it helps avoid conflicts with competing beetles. But identifying a benefit is not the same as explaining the origin of the system. Saying a trait is useful does not explain how an insect acquired the ability to process information from the sun, moon, wind, and stars and convert it into successful navigation. A navigation system requires more than a benefit. It requires sensors, processing mechanisms, behavioral programming, and precise coordination between all of those components. And the wonders do not stop there. Dung beetles play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. By burying manure, they recycle nutrients back into the soil. Studies have shown that their activity can increase soil water retention by around 10 percent and dramatically improve plant growth by 280 % during drought conditions. In other words, these tiny insects are helping entire ecosystems thrive. Australia learned this lesson firsthand. When millions of cattle were introduced, bush fly populations exploded because the insects bred in the enormous quantities of cow dung scattered across the landscape. Beginning in the 1960s, scientists imported specialized dung beetle species from overseas. The results were extraordinary. Fly numbers dropped by approximately 90 percent as the beetles efficiently buried the manure before the flies could use it. What many people dismiss as a dirty little insect turned out to be one of the most effective environmental workers on the continent. The dung beetle reminds us that design is often found in the most unexpected places. Hidden beneath its humble appearance is a sophisticated navigation system capable of using the sun, wind, moon, and even the Milky Way. It performs ecological services that benefit entire landscapes while carrying out tasks most people never notice. The next time you see a dung beetle, remember that you are looking at far more than an insect rolling a ball of waste. You are looking at a tiny creature equipped with abilities that human engineers still struggle to fully understand. "O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Psalm 104:24

August 20th, 2026 Read; Romans 15:5-6 As we follow Jesus, the Spirit of God will bring us together. But being united is about a lot more than just getting along. Jesus prayed that we would all be one so that the world would know that God sent Jesus into the world as His Son (John 17). We want to be one so that when we praise God, it will bring Him honor. Unity isn't just a goal; unity is a way for the world to learn about Jesus. We also praise the Father, who sent Jesus to save us. Living for Jesus is all about bringing other people to Jesus and giving God the glory. Let's make unity our passion! Prayer I'm sorry for everything I've done and said that has hurt members of Your family or damaged the unity of Your Church. Great and Almighty God, Eternal Strength for all who call on Your name, I beg Your pardon. Bless me as I strive to do less of my own will, live for Your glory, and inspire others. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.

Dear Father, You instructed a young prophet, saying, “Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.” But there was an old prophet who came and misled him, saying, “I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” But he lied to him. This very act cost the young prophet his life. The unsettling part of this story is that the Scripture refers to a man who caused the downfall of another in the same field he operated, a prophet! I strongly believe in and advocate for mentorship, and a model who has gone before us often has greater influence on our decisions, especially when its a trusted voice. Today, I am concerned about people we look up to, whose words of direction and contributions to our assignment, although genuine, may lead us astray. I think of those moments in our destiny when, in what seems like a dilemma, we must choose between obedience to You and what appears to be rebellion against a trusted voice. And like the younger prophet, we may be faced with the risk of letting our guard down. How can we, in such situations, know which way to go? Especially when what they talk us into is not bad in itself. If a man who clearly heard You fell victim, how can we trust our own discernment? I do not have all the answers, Father. But I have developed a pattern: whenever I experience contradictions, to always check back with You. I believe in mentorship, but I also believe that every trusted voice may not always speak a trusted word. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #mentorship #instructions #dilemma #obedience