JESUS CALLS US TO HIMSELF "Come! Everyone who thirst, come to the waters. You who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price". (Isa. 55, 1) What a wonderful invitation from a holy God to weary, sinful mankind. He is always reaching out to us, extending love, mercy, and grace. In mercy, God withholds the punishment we deserve and by grace He gives us unmerited favour. He requires us to receive both through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son. Salvation is man's greatest need and it is free; Jesus Christ has already paid our sin-debt. When we receive Him we have eternal life, that is the distinction between our faith and the false hope of other religions. Let us who are walking in the straight and narrow way persuade others to accept this glorious invitation to come, to believe, and to live forever. Blessed and praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ!

DAY 3 MISSION WEEK SERVANT OF GOD ARENA, KENYA COME BACK HOME The prodigal son had drifted far from his father. He had wasted his inheritance and found himself in a place he never imagined he would be. Yet, when he came to his senses and returned to his father, he discovered something beautiful: his father was still waiting for him with open arms. His father did not reject him. He welcomed him, embraced him, restored him, and received him again as a son. There is nothing our God cannot do. He is full of compassion, rich in mercy, and ready to forgive. Do not allow the enemy to convince you that you have gone too far to be forgiven. Take that one step today—just as the prodigal son did. Come to your senses. Confess your sins. Repent and return to the Father. The prodigal son thought he could only return as a servant, but his father restored him to sonship. In the same way, God is not merely calling you back to serve Him; He is calling you back into relationship with Him. The Word says: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” — Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23). Come back home. The Father is waiting. His arms are open. There is mercy, forgiveness, restoration, and grace in Jesus Christ. Your brother, Alfred Wabuko Manyasi

26 August 2026 Holy Is His Name Psalm 99:3 (AMP) “Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He.” There is something powerful about simply declaring the holiness of God. Psalm 99:3 calls us to praise His “great and awesome name” because He is holy. God is not like anyone or anything else. His character is perfect, His ways are righteous, and His presence is worthy of our deepest reverence. When we truly recognize who He is, praise becomes more than something we sing—it becomes the natural response of a heart that has encountered His greatness. Sometimes life can become so busy that we focus more on our problems than on the One who is greater than every problem. But when we lift our eyes toward God and remember His holiness, our perspective changes. Our circumstances may not immediately change, but our hearts become anchored in the One who never changes. Today, pause and remember: God is holy. God is worthy. God is faithful. God is still on the throne. Let your worship not depend on how you feel or what you are facing. Praise Him because of who He is. Prayer Heavenly Father, I praise Your great and awesome name today. You alone are holy, righteous, and worthy of all honor. Forgive me for the times when I have allowed my circumstances to become bigger in my heart than You. Help me to see You for who You truly are. Teach me to approach You with reverence and to worship You with a sincere heart. May my words, thoughts, and actions bring glory to Your holy name. Even when I don't understand what You are doing, help me to trust You and continue to praise You. Holy is Your name! You alone are worthy of my praise. In Jesus' name, Amen. Today’s Reflection Am I praising God only for what He does, or am I praising Him simply because of who He is? Declaration: “Holy is the Lord! I will praise His great and awesome name, no matter what I face today.”

# Psalms were the original spoken word That's exactly right, and it's why they still hit so hard on a phone screen today. Psalms were never meant to be quietly read. They were lyrics, prayers, protest songs performed out loud. Ancient Hebrew culture didn't have books everywhere, so poetry was memory technology. Over a third of the Old Testament is poetry for that reason — Job, Proverbs, Psalms, most of the prophets. And Hebrew poetry doesn't work like English poetry. It doesn't rhyme. It uses parallelism, where the second line echoes, contrasts, or expands the first. Like "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." That's synonymous parallelism — same idea, said twice, bigger the second time. You get antithetic too — "The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously." Or synthetic, where the second line completes the first. That A-then-B expansion is literally what modern faith spoken word does. When someone says "from storms to raindrops" or "from scarlet sins to snow-white grace" — that's straight out of Isaiah 1:18 and Psalm structure. Terseness, vivid image, repetition. C.S. Lewis nailed it when he said the Psalms must be read as poems, as lyrics, with emotional rather than logical connections. It's also why they work on Reels. Psalm 25:4 is three Hebrew words then two. No intro, no fluff. Psalms were sung with just a voice, no production — same as a one-take spoken word video today.

Greetings Brethren, here is the continuation of Sunday (8/23/26) Sermon Excerpt, "The Power of Wordless Evangelism: Let Your Life Speak" - 'Hindrances To Wordless Evangelism'

GOD’S BLESSINGS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES When God Brings Blessings to You from the Most Surprising Corners Key Scriptures: Genesis 50:20; 1 Kings 17:8–16; Ruth 2:2–12; Psalm 23:5–6 There are times when God surprises us with blessings in the most unlikely places. We often think that our breakthroughs will come through specific people, opportunities, or plans we have in mind. But God isn’t confined by our expectations. As Psalm 23:5 reminds us, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” God can set a feast for us even in the wilderness, provide for us through unexpected sources, and open doors in places we never thought to look. Take Elijah, for example. During a terrible famine, God could have directed him to a rich household, but instead, He led him to a widow in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–16). From that unlikely situation came miraculous provision. Similarly, Ruth went out to gather leftover grain, but God guided her steps to Boaz’s field, where she found favor, sustenance, and a new beginning (Ruth 2:2–12; 4:13–17). What may seem like a mundane task could actually be a divine setup. The place you think is insignificant might just be where God plans to unveil your next blessing. Joseph’s journey also illustrates how God can transform unexpected places into stepping stones for our destiny. The prison may have seemed like a place of despair, but God turned it into a space for preparation and connection (Genesis 39:20–23; 41:1–14). What Joseph perceived as a setback became the very path to his elevation. So, don’t overlook your current situation or season. God can shower you with blessings in the wilderness, lift you up in obscurity, grant you favor among strangers, and create opportunities where you only see obstacles. Be mindful not to get so caught up in how you think God should bless you that you overlook the blessings that come in unexpected ways. Stay prayerful, obedient, humble, and open to divine opportunities. Your blessing might show up through someone you didn’t see coming, in a place that feels unfamiliar, as a small chance, or through a door you nearly passed by. While God’s ways can be surprising, His faithfulness is unwavering. The spot you least anticipate could very well be where your testimony begins. Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for being beyond the limits of human expectations and circumstances. We trust You to guide us to the places You’ve prepared for us. Lord, please open our spiritual eyes so we can spot divine opportunities. Lead us to places filled with favor, provision, purpose, and destiny. May unexpected doors swing open, surprising helpers come forth, and blessings find us according to Your perfect will. Father, grant us the wisdom to appreciate small beginnings and not overlook ordinary chances. Like Ruth, help us to be in the right field at the right moment. Like Elijah, help us to see Your provision, even when it comes from an unexpected source. We declare that our blessings will not pass us by. What You have set aside for us will find us, even in places we never imagined. Transform our wilderness into a land of provision, our obscurity into a realm of favor, and our everyday steps into divine appointments. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Actor and 1990's New Kids on the Block American BoyBand founding member Donnie Wahlberg celebrated his birthday by looking back on a year of spiritual renewal, sharing footage of himself and his wife, Jenny McCarthy, being baptized. “The Lord has been renewing my mind, rebuilding my spirit, rearranging my priorities, recentering my focus…refining my faith, restoring my joy and redeeming my life!” Wahlberg wrote. The “Blue Bloods” star has become increasingly outspoken about his Christian faith, recently sharing that after years of relying on himself, he realized he needed to surrender his life to Jesus. He has even called giving his life to Christ the greatest accomplishment of his life. Reflecting on where his journey has brought him, Wahlberg ended his birthday message with a powerful declaration: “I don’t know where I would be without Jesus, but I know where I will be with Him! All the glory is His!”

We are celebrating 'Onam' festival, today 🌹❤️🌹 HAPPY 'ONAM' TO ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS, ALL OVER THE WORLD 🌹❤️🌹. Onam is the official state festival of Kerala, India, celebrating the annual harvest and the mythical homecoming of the generous king Mahabali. Onam is celebrated by all communities in Kerala regardless of their background, standing as a symbol of unity, joy, and shared cultural heritage 🌹❤️🌹.

Daily devotion for August 26th Giving Cheerfully From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites. Nehemiah 12:44b Those offerings and contributions were given with pleasure. The Scriptures carefully inform us that offerings mean nothing if they are not given cheerfully. If you are not giving with pleasure, God does not want your gift. He does not care how big or small it is. If all you are after is to make an impression on others by the size of your gift, God is not interested in that. Jesus told of a widow who put two tiny pieces of money into the treasury, saying that she had given more than all that the rich people had cast in that day. God would pick up that insignificant amount and use it more mightily than He would the larger gifts of the wealthy. What God looks for always is a note of pleasure, of delight, of cheerfully returning funds to him out of a thankful heart. Dr. H. A. Ironside used to tell the story of an old Scotsman who inadvertently dropped a gold sovereign in the collection bag at a church service. In Scotland, when the ushers take up the offering, they use a long pole with a bag on the end of it, which they pass among the pews. This old Scotsman put in a gold sovereign by mistake when he meant to put in only a shilling. As soon as he realized his mistake, he tried to retrieve his sovereign. But the usher pulled the bag back and said, Nah, once in, always in! The old man said, Ah well, I'll get credit for it in glory. The usher replied, Nah, you'll get credit for the shilling! That is all the old man intended to give. So we are to give as God has given, freely and gladly. The closing sentence of this paragraph says, They also set aside the portion for the other Levites. They were careful to take care of others who were not able to be there or who were busy performing and therefore did not have opportunity to share in the offerings. This is a beautiful picture of the oneness of the nation of Israel. God was constantly seeking to teach these people that they belonged to each other. They were not individualists, doing their own thing, but they were workers together with God. I do not know any truth that is more important in the body of Christ than to recognize that God uses people different from us. We must recognize that our way of serving God is not the only way but that we belong to and need one another. Father, thank You that out of the abundance of what You have given to me, I can give to others, knowing that You will continue to provide for my needs.

📌 Today's Readings are from the Book of 2 Kings 25 | Ephesians 2 📌 👇 Overviews Are Below (PLEASE READ YOUR BIBLE: Overviews Do Not Replace Daily Reading) 👇 2 Kings 25 The Fall of Jerusalem and the Hope That Remains 2 Kings 25 concludes the historical record of the books of Kings with the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. It is a heartbreaking chapter, yet it is not merely the story of a nation's defeat. It is the fulfillment of God's long-declared warnings through generations of prophets. What God had patiently announced for centuries now comes to pass exactly as He said. The Babylonian army lays siege to Jerusalem until famine overwhelms the city. Eventually, the walls are breached, and King Zedekiah attempts to flee. He is captured, witnesses the destruction of his family, and is taken into exile. The collapse of Judah's final earthly kingdom illustrates the devastating consequences of persistent rebellion against the Lord. The Babylonians then destroy Jerusalem. The temple is burned, the city walls are torn down, and many of the people are carried away into captivity. The place where God's people had gathered for worship now lies in ruins. The visible symbols of Israel's strength, security, and identity are removed. Yet even as the temple falls, God's presence is not defeated. The Lord is never confined to buildings or earthly kingdoms. His covenant purposes continue beyond what human eyes can see. A small remnant remains in the land under the leadership of Gedaliah, offering a brief opportunity for stability. Yet even this hope is disrupted through violence and fear, causing many to flee to Egypt despite God's repeated warnings. The chapter demonstrates that human hearts remain prone to trust their own plans rather than God's direction. The book closes with an unexpected note of hope. Years after the exile begins, Jehoiachin, a descendant of David, is released from prison and shown kindness by the king of Babylon. Though seemingly small, this closing scene carries profound theological significance. The royal line of David has not been extinguished. God's covenant promise remains alive. The story is not over. This quiet ending points beyond exile to restoration. Though the kingdom has fallen, God's redemptive plan continues moving toward the coming of the Messiah. The final chapter of Kings leaves readers looking forward to the greater King whom God has promised. Theologically, 2 Kings 25 reveals both God's perfect justice and His unwavering faithfulness. His judgment against sin is certain, yet His covenant promises remain secure. Even in exile, God preserves hope because His purposes cannot fail. This chapter points directly to Jesus Christ. The preserved line of David ultimately leads to the birth of the Messiah, the eternal King whose kingdom will never be destroyed. Earthly Jerusalem fell because of sin, but Christ establishes a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Through His death and resurrection, He restores what humanity's rebellion had broken and opens the way for all who trust Him to become citizens of His everlasting kingdom. For believers today, 2 Kings 25 reminds us that even the darkest moments of history cannot cancel God's promises. Loss, discipline, and hardship are never the end of God's story. In Christ, hope remains because our King reigns forever. We may experience seasons that feel like exile, but God's faithfulness never changes. His redemptive plan continues, His promises stand secure, and His kingdom will one day be fully established in perfect righteousness and everlasting peace. Ephesians 2 — Saved by Grace and United in the Christ Ephesians chapter 2 reveals the heart of God's redemptive plan by showing how the Christ, the Son of God, rescues sinners, gives them new life, and unites them into one family. After celebrating the spiritual blessings found in the Christ in chapter 1, Paul now explains how those blessings became ours. This chapter moves from humanity's desperate condition apart from God to the glorious transformation accomplished entirely through His grace. Christian living begins by understanding that salvation is God's work from beginning to end. The chapter opens by describing humanity's condition apart from the Christ. Spiritually separated from God and unable to rescue themselves, people naturally follow the patterns of a fallen world and the desires of their sinful nature. This description reminds believers that salvation is never earned because humanity has no ability to bring itself back to God. The redemptive plan begins with God's mercy toward those who were completely unable to save themselves. The turning point of the chapter comes with the overwhelming declaration of God's mercy and love. Because of His great love, God acted through the Christ to give life to those who were spiritually dead. The Son of God accomplished what humanity never could. Christian living is rooted in this reality: believers stand before God because of His grace, not because of their goodness. Every aspect of salvation points back to His mercy. Paul repeatedly emphasizes that salvation is a gift of grace received through faith. It is not the result of human achievement or religious performance. This truth protects the believer from pride and continually directs all glory to the Christ. The redemptive plan leaves no room for boasting because everything necessary for salvation has already been accomplished through the Son of God. The chapter then explains that believers are God's workmanship, created anew in the Christ for lives of faithful service. Good works do not produce salvation, but they naturally flow from it. Christian living is the result of a transformed heart. The Son of God saves His people not only from sin but also for a life that reflects His character and fulfills His purposes. Paul next addresses the separation that once existed between different groups of people. Through the Christ, barriers of hostility have been removed, and those who were once divided have been brought together into one new people. The redemptive plan creates unity where there was once division. The Son of God is the source of true peace because He reconciles people to God and to one another. This reconciliation extends beyond human relationships to the believer's relationship with God Himself. Those who were once far away have been brought near through the sacrifice of the Christ. Access to the Father is now available because of His finished work. Christian living is lived in the confidence of this restored relationship, knowing that believers are welcomed into God's presence through the Son of God. The chapter continues by describing the Church as God's household and His holy temple. Believers are no longer strangers or outsiders but members of God's family. Together they are being built into a dwelling place where God lives by His Spirit. The redemptive plan is not only individual but also corporate. The Christ is building a people who reflect His glory together as one body. The foundation of this spiritual house is firmly established upon the truth of God's Word, with the Christ Himself as the cornerstone. Everything in the believer's life and in the Church must remain aligned with Him. Christian living remains stable only when it is centered on the Son of God. Throughout Ephesians chapter 2, the Christ is revealed as the giver of life, the source of grace, the bringer of peace, and the cornerstone of God's eternal kingdom. Every aspect of the believer's salvation, identity, and purpose is found in Him. The redemptive plan transforms those who were spiritually dead into living members of God's family and joins them together for His glory. For believers today, this chapter reminds us that our salvation is entirely the work of God's grace through the Christ. Christian living is not an attempt to earn God's acceptance but a joyful response to His mercy. We are called to live as God's workmanship, pursuing the good works He has prepared for us while walking in unity with fellow believers. As we remain firmly built upon the Son of God, we become living stones in His spiritual house, displaying His grace and participating in His eternal redemptive plan. #DailyBibleReading #OpenYourBible #StudyTheWord #ScriptureForToday #FaithJourney #GodsWord #BibleTime #WalkWithGod