• The Last Great Revival Before the Return of Christ

    Theme: When God Awakens Nations Before the King Appears
    Scripture Anchor: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” — Acts 2:17

    Before the trumpet sounds and Christ returns in glory, Scripture declares there will be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit—a revival unlike any before. This revival is not confined to one nation or generation; it is global, sweeping across cultures, ages, and denominations. It is the final awakening, preparing the Bride for the Bridegroom.

    Acts 2:17 establishes the principle: the last days are marked by a Spirit‑outpouring. Joel’s prophecy fulfilled at Pentecost points forward to a greater fulfillment before Christ’s return. Revival is heaven’s strategy to gather souls and purify the Church before the King comes.

    The last great revival represents:
    - Outpouring: God’s Spirit poured on all flesh.
    - Harvest: Multitudes brought into the kingdom.
    - Purification: The Bride made ready.
    - Unity: Believers across nations joined in one Spirit.
    - Testimony: Evidence of God’s power before the end.

    The struggle manifests as:
    - Opposition: Satanic resistance to awakening.
    - Deception: False teachings to distract.
    - Persecution: Pressure against the faithful.
    - Complacency: Hearts asleep in comfort.
    - Testing: Faith refined in fire.

    - Revival is not hype—it is holy transformation.
    - The last revival is not man‑made—it is Spirit‑driven.
    - Opposition is not victory—it is proof of God’s movement.

    From heaven’s view, the last great revival is the Bride’s final preparation. God pours His Spirit to awaken, purify, and empower His people. Heaven rejoices as nations turn, because it signals the nearness of Christ’s appearing.

    What the Last Revival Produces
    - Repentance: Hearts broken before God.
    - Holiness: Lives set apart.
    - Power: Signs, wonders, and miracles.
    - Unity: Barriers broken among believers.
    - Harvest: Souls gathered for eternity.

    Signs the Last Revival Is Stirring
    1. Global hunger: Nations crying out for truth.
    2. Youth rising: Sons and daughters prophesying.
    3. Supernatural manifestations: Visions, dreams, and miracles.
    4. Persecution increasing: Resistance against the faithful.
    5. Bride awakening: Church purified for the Bridegroom.

    Assignment for Believers
    - Prepare your heart: Repent and consecrate yourself.
    - Seek His Spirit: Cry out for fresh outpouring.
    - Reject complacency: Do not sleep in comfort.
    - Stand boldly: Endure opposition with faith.
    - Magnify Christ: Exalt Him as the Coming King.

    Beloved, the last great revival before the return of Christ is not a distant dream—it is heaven’s promise. Do not let distraction or fear rob you of participation. His Spirit is your fire, His word is your anchor, and His coming is your hope. Awaken, for the final revival is rising, and the King is at the door.
    📖 The Last Great Revival Before the Return of Christ 🔥🌍👑 Theme: When God Awakens Nations Before the King Appears Scripture Anchor: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” — Acts 2:17 Before the trumpet sounds and Christ returns in glory, Scripture declares there will be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit—a revival unlike any before. This revival is not confined to one nation or generation; it is global, sweeping across cultures, ages, and denominations. It is the final awakening, preparing the Bride for the Bridegroom. Acts 2:17 establishes the principle: the last days are marked by a Spirit‑outpouring. Joel’s prophecy fulfilled at Pentecost points forward to a greater fulfillment before Christ’s return. Revival is heaven’s strategy to gather souls and purify the Church before the King comes. The last great revival represents: - Outpouring: God’s Spirit poured on all flesh. - Harvest: Multitudes brought into the kingdom. - Purification: The Bride made ready. - Unity: Believers across nations joined in one Spirit. - Testimony: Evidence of God’s power before the end. The struggle manifests as: - Opposition: Satanic resistance to awakening. - Deception: False teachings to distract. - Persecution: Pressure against the faithful. - Complacency: Hearts asleep in comfort. - Testing: Faith refined in fire. - Revival is not hype—it is holy transformation. - The last revival is not man‑made—it is Spirit‑driven. - Opposition is not victory—it is proof of God’s movement. From heaven’s view, the last great revival is the Bride’s final preparation. God pours His Spirit to awaken, purify, and empower His people. Heaven rejoices as nations turn, because it signals the nearness of Christ’s appearing. ⚠️ What the Last Revival Produces - Repentance: Hearts broken before God. - Holiness: Lives set apart. - Power: Signs, wonders, and miracles. - Unity: Barriers broken among believers. - Harvest: Souls gathered for eternity. 🚨 Signs the Last Revival Is Stirring 1. Global hunger: Nations crying out for truth. 2. Youth rising: Sons and daughters prophesying. 3. Supernatural manifestations: Visions, dreams, and miracles. 4. Persecution increasing: Resistance against the faithful. 5. Bride awakening: Church purified for the Bridegroom. 🎯 Assignment for Believers - Prepare your heart: Repent and consecrate yourself. - Seek His Spirit: Cry out for fresh outpouring. - Reject complacency: Do not sleep in comfort. - Stand boldly: Endure opposition with faith. - Magnify Christ: Exalt Him as the Coming King. Beloved, the last great revival before the return of Christ is not a distant dream—it is heaven’s promise. Do not let distraction or fear rob you of participation. His Spirit is your fire, His word is your anchor, and His coming is your hope. Awaken, for the final revival is rising, and the King is at the door. 🙏🔥
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  • Mystical Gardens Tale

    The Cooling Waters

    Jill had decided that summer had officially become personal. The heat had been unbearable for days. Not the pleasant kind of summer warmth that made people want to sit outside with a cold drink. This was the kind of heat that seemed to crawl beneath your skin and stay there.

    Jill woke up irritated. She stepped outside and immediately began sweating. “Wonderful,” she muttered. “It's going to be another one of those days.”

    Her car wouldn't start. “Of course it won't.” The air conditioner at work wasn't working properly. “Of course it isn't.” Someone had left a door open, letting hot air into the building. “Who does that?” Then someone accidentally bumped into her in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!”

    The woman stopped and stared at Jill. “I'm sorry.”

    Jill walked away without answering. She didn't notice the hurt look on the woman's face.

    By lunchtime, Jill was ready to scream. The restaurant was crowded. Someone's child was crying. A man at the next table was talking too loudly. The waitress brought Jill the wrong drink.

    “This isn't what I ordered.”
    “I apologize. I'll get you another one.”
    “And could you please get it right this time?”

    The waitress's smile disappeared. Jill didn't notice. Or perhaps she did, but she was too irritated to care. Everything seemed to bother her. A phone ringing. A dog barking. Someone chewing too loudly. A car driving too slowly. A person looking at her for what Jill was certain was too long.

    “What are you looking at?” she snapped.
    The man quickly looked away.

    By late afternoon, Jill was exhausted. And angry. Mostly angry. She couldn't even explain why anymore. All she knew was that everything was getting on her nerves. Then, on her way home, Jill saw something she hadn't seen before. A narrow path between two old trees.

    It hadn't been there yesterday. Jill stopped. She stared at it. Beyond the trees was a faint green glow. Normally, she would have walked away. But today she was hot, tired, frustrated, and completely out of patience and whatever was there had to be better than here, so she stepped onto the path.

    Within moments, the world changed. The heat disappeared. Jill stopped walking. A cool breeze brushed across her face. She closed her eyes. “Oh…”

    She hadn't realized how badly she needed that. The garden stretched out before her. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead. Little streams wound between moss-covered stones. Flowers opened beneath the shade, and somewhere nearby, water trickled over smooth rocks.

    There were no car horns. No ringing phones. No barking dogs. No crying children. No voices demanding anything from her. Just quiet. Beautiful, peaceful quiet.

    Jill sat beside the stream and dipped her hands into the cool water. For the first time all day, her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath. Then another. And suddenly, something uncomfortable happened... She began remembering.

    The woman in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!”

    The waitress. “Could you please get it right this time?”

    The man at the restaurant. “What are you looking at?”

    Her coworker. “Who does that?”

    One memory after another came rushing back. Jill lowered her head. “Oh no.” She hadn't simply been having a bad day. She had been handing that bad day to everyone around her. She had taken her frustration, her discomfort, and her exhaustion and thrown them at people who hadn't caused any of it.

    The garden remained silent. But Jill had the strange feeling that the giant tree at the center of the garden was watching her.

    “I was miserable,” she whispered.
    A leaf drifted down beside her.
    Jill picked it up. “I was hot. I was tired. Everything was going wrong.” She sighed. “But that doesn't mean I had to make everybody else miserable too.”

    The breeze moved gently through the branches. Jill smiled sadly. “You know what's worse?” She looked toward the path.
    “I don't even know if any of them deserved an apology from me.” She paused. “Of course they do.”

    For the first time that day, Jill laughed at herself. She had spent hours thinking everyone else was the problem. But the garden had given her something the heat never could. Perspective.

    Jill stood. “I can't undo what I said.” She looked toward the great tree. “But I can go back and do better.”

    The garden seemed to grow a little brighter. Jill stepped onto the path. The heat returned when she reached the other side. But something inside her had changed. The temperature hadn't changed. Her circumstances hadn't changed. Her car was still broken. The air conditioner still wasn't working. Tomorrow might be just as hot. But Jill wasn't going to let the heat decide who she was.

    The next morning, she found the woman from the hallway. “I'm sorry,” Jill said.

    The woman looked surprised.

    “For yesterday. You didn't deserve the way I spoke to you.”

    Then Jill found the waitress. She apologized there too.

    And when someone accidentally bumped into her later that afternoon, Jill felt irritation rising inside her. She opened her mouth. Then stopped. She took a breath. “It's okay,” she said.

    The person smiled. And Jill smiled back.

    That evening, Jill returned to the garden. She sat beneath the great tree with her feet beside the cool stream. “Thank you,” she whispered.

    She finally understood something the garden had been trying to teach her. Sometimes we are uncomfortable. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes the world seems to be working against us. And sometimes we have every reason to be frustrated. But our circumstances may explain why we're hurting without giving us permission to hurt someone else.

    The garden could cool Jill's skin. But only she could choose to cool the anger in her heart. And that choice was worth far more than a cool breeze.

    Seed from the Garden

    “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1

    You may not be able to control the heat, the noise, the traffic, the broken air conditioner, or the things other people do.
    But you can choose what you do with the frustration those things create inside you.
    Before you hand your bad day to someone else, stop.

    Breathe. Cool down. And remember: They may not be the reason you're hurting. Don't make them pay for it.

    #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz #MysticalGardens
    🌿 Mystical Gardens Tale 🌿 The Cooling Waters Jill had decided that summer had officially become personal. The heat had been unbearable for days. Not the pleasant kind of summer warmth that made people want to sit outside with a cold drink. This was the kind of heat that seemed to crawl beneath your skin and stay there. Jill woke up irritated. She stepped outside and immediately began sweating. “Wonderful,” she muttered. “It's going to be another one of those days.” Her car wouldn't start. “Of course it won't.” The air conditioner at work wasn't working properly. “Of course it isn't.” Someone had left a door open, letting hot air into the building. “Who does that?” Then someone accidentally bumped into her in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The woman stopped and stared at Jill. “I'm sorry.” Jill walked away without answering. She didn't notice the hurt look on the woman's face. By lunchtime, Jill was ready to scream. The restaurant was crowded. Someone's child was crying. A man at the next table was talking too loudly. The waitress brought Jill the wrong drink. “This isn't what I ordered.” “I apologize. I'll get you another one.” “And could you please get it right this time?” The waitress's smile disappeared. Jill didn't notice. Or perhaps she did, but she was too irritated to care. Everything seemed to bother her. A phone ringing. A dog barking. Someone chewing too loudly. A car driving too slowly. A person looking at her for what Jill was certain was too long. “What are you looking at?” she snapped. The man quickly looked away. By late afternoon, Jill was exhausted. And angry. Mostly angry. She couldn't even explain why anymore. All she knew was that everything was getting on her nerves. Then, on her way home, Jill saw something she hadn't seen before. A narrow path between two old trees. It hadn't been there yesterday. Jill stopped. She stared at it. Beyond the trees was a faint green glow. Normally, she would have walked away. But today she was hot, tired, frustrated, and completely out of patience and whatever was there had to be better than here, so she stepped onto the path. Within moments, the world changed. The heat disappeared. Jill stopped walking. A cool breeze brushed across her face. She closed her eyes. “Oh…” She hadn't realized how badly she needed that. The garden stretched out before her. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead. Little streams wound between moss-covered stones. Flowers opened beneath the shade, and somewhere nearby, water trickled over smooth rocks. There were no car horns. No ringing phones. No barking dogs. No crying children. No voices demanding anything from her. Just quiet. Beautiful, peaceful quiet. Jill sat beside the stream and dipped her hands into the cool water. For the first time all day, her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath. Then another. And suddenly, something uncomfortable happened... She began remembering. The woman in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The waitress. “Could you please get it right this time?” The man at the restaurant. “What are you looking at?” Her coworker. “Who does that?” One memory after another came rushing back. Jill lowered her head. “Oh no.” She hadn't simply been having a bad day. She had been handing that bad day to everyone around her. She had taken her frustration, her discomfort, and her exhaustion and thrown them at people who hadn't caused any of it. The garden remained silent. But Jill had the strange feeling that the giant tree at the center of the garden was watching her. “I was miserable,” she whispered. A leaf drifted down beside her. Jill picked it up. “I was hot. I was tired. Everything was going wrong.” She sighed. “But that doesn't mean I had to make everybody else miserable too.” The breeze moved gently through the branches. Jill smiled sadly. “You know what's worse?” She looked toward the path. “I don't even know if any of them deserved an apology from me.” She paused. “Of course they do.” For the first time that day, Jill laughed at herself. She had spent hours thinking everyone else was the problem. But the garden had given her something the heat never could. Perspective. Jill stood. “I can't undo what I said.” She looked toward the great tree. “But I can go back and do better.” The garden seemed to grow a little brighter. Jill stepped onto the path. The heat returned when she reached the other side. But something inside her had changed. The temperature hadn't changed. Her circumstances hadn't changed. Her car was still broken. The air conditioner still wasn't working. Tomorrow might be just as hot. But Jill wasn't going to let the heat decide who she was. The next morning, she found the woman from the hallway. “I'm sorry,” Jill said. The woman looked surprised. “For yesterday. You didn't deserve the way I spoke to you.” Then Jill found the waitress. She apologized there too. And when someone accidentally bumped into her later that afternoon, Jill felt irritation rising inside her. She opened her mouth. Then stopped. She took a breath. “It's okay,” she said. The person smiled. And Jill smiled back. That evening, Jill returned to the garden. She sat beneath the great tree with her feet beside the cool stream. “Thank you,” she whispered. She finally understood something the garden had been trying to teach her. Sometimes we are uncomfortable. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes the world seems to be working against us. And sometimes we have every reason to be frustrated. But our circumstances may explain why we're hurting without giving us permission to hurt someone else. The garden could cool Jill's skin. But only she could choose to cool the anger in her heart. And that choice was worth far more than a cool breeze. Seed from the Garden “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 You may not be able to control the heat, the noise, the traffic, the broken air conditioner, or the things other people do. But you can choose what you do with the frustration those things create inside you. Before you hand your bad day to someone else, stop. Breathe. Cool down. And remember: They may not be the reason you're hurting. Don't make them pay for it. #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz #MysticalGardens
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  • daily devotion for August 15th
    Hunger For The Word
    They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

    Nehemiah 8:1b
    It is not surprising that chapter 8 opens with a manifestation of a great hunger for the Word among these people in Jerusalem. Notice that this seems to be a spontaneous gathering. No invitations were sent out. No public notice was given. People were hungry for answers to their problems and for guidelines from the Word of God, and with one accord they gathered in this great square before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the priest to bring the Law of the Lord and to read it to them. This would undoubtedly be the entire Pentateuch--the first five books of the Bible. This indicates the tremendous desire of these people for truth. They listened, while standing, from daybreak until noon! Certainly this long attention indicates how deeply they were aware of their ignorance about life and how much they needed answers from God. They were simply crying out for the Word.

    Ezra, the priest, the author of the book of Ezra, appears for the first time in the book of Nehemiah. Thirteen years earlier he had led a return from Persia to rebuild the temple and to teach the Law of God. Apparently he had been occupied in that task all through the time of the rebuilding of the wall. But when the people had finished their work, they were desperate to hear from the Word of God, so they sent for Ezra to lead them.

    It seems to me that we have come to such a time as this again. The prophet Amos predicted that there would come a famine in the world for the Word of God. People would actually be starving for answers to the problems of life. I find everywhere a deep hunger among non-churched people to hear the Word of God. Wherever it is taught with any degree of understanding, they are immediately attracted to it.

    When the Word is opened up, people begin to understand themselves. When you know God you begin to understand yourself, because you are made in the image of God. These people in Jerusalem were soon growing in self-knowledge as they began to hunger for the Word of God. The great tragedy of our day is how few churches seem to understand this power of Scripture.

    Lord, create in me a hunger for Your Word. Forgive me for so often taking it for granted.
    daily devotion for August 15th Hunger For The Word They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. Nehemiah 8:1b It is not surprising that chapter 8 opens with a manifestation of a great hunger for the Word among these people in Jerusalem. Notice that this seems to be a spontaneous gathering. No invitations were sent out. No public notice was given. People were hungry for answers to their problems and for guidelines from the Word of God, and with one accord they gathered in this great square before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the priest to bring the Law of the Lord and to read it to them. This would undoubtedly be the entire Pentateuch--the first five books of the Bible. This indicates the tremendous desire of these people for truth. They listened, while standing, from daybreak until noon! Certainly this long attention indicates how deeply they were aware of their ignorance about life and how much they needed answers from God. They were simply crying out for the Word. Ezra, the priest, the author of the book of Ezra, appears for the first time in the book of Nehemiah. Thirteen years earlier he had led a return from Persia to rebuild the temple and to teach the Law of God. Apparently he had been occupied in that task all through the time of the rebuilding of the wall. But when the people had finished their work, they were desperate to hear from the Word of God, so they sent for Ezra to lead them. It seems to me that we have come to such a time as this again. The prophet Amos predicted that there would come a famine in the world for the Word of God. People would actually be starving for answers to the problems of life. I find everywhere a deep hunger among non-churched people to hear the Word of God. Wherever it is taught with any degree of understanding, they are immediately attracted to it. When the Word is opened up, people begin to understand themselves. When you know God you begin to understand yourself, because you are made in the image of God. These people in Jerusalem were soon growing in self-knowledge as they began to hunger for the Word of God. The great tragedy of our day is how few churches seem to understand this power of Scripture. Lord, create in me a hunger for Your Word. Forgive me for so often taking it for granted.
    Praying
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  • KEEPING THE FAITH WHILE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES!

    When Life Gets Hard, Hold On to God Even Tighter

    Key Scripture:
    “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

    Thought Of The Day....
    There are seasons in life when keeping the faith is easier said than done.
    It is easy to declare, “God is good!” when everything is going well. It is easy to shout when the bills are paid, the family is getting along, your body feels strong, your marriage is peaceful, your children are doing well, and the doors you have been praying for are opening.
    But what happens when life gets difficult?
    What happens when you pray—and the situation doesn't immediately change?
    What happens when the doctor's report concerns you? When your body is hurting and you are tired of hurting? When your finances are stretched beyond what you can see? When there is tension between husband and wife? When your children are struggling or making decisions that keep you awake at night? When relationships in your family become strained?
    Can you still trust God when you don't understand what God is doing?
    That is where faith becomes more than something we talk about.
    Faith becomes something we live.
    Hebrews 11:1 declares:
    “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
    Faith does not mean pretending everything is okay.
    Faith says, “Everything may not be okay right now, but I know the One who is holding me while I go through it.”

    FAITH DOESN'T DENY THE DIFFICULTY—IT DECLARES THAT GOD IS GREATER
    Sometimes Christians mistakenly believe that having faith means we cannot acknowledge that something hurts.
    But David cried.
    Job grieved.
    Jeremiah wept.
    Paul experienced suffering.
    Even Jesus wept.
    Faith doesn't require you to deny your pain. Faith requires you not to allow your pain to become greater than your confidence in God.
    You can have tears in your eyes and still have faith in your heart.
    You can say:
    “Lord, I'm hurting, but I trust You.”
    “Lord, I'm tired, but I'm still following You.”
    “Lord, I don't understand, but I still believe You.”
    “Lord, I don't know how this is going to work out, but I know You are still God.”
    Psalm 34:17 reminds us:
    “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
    Your trouble has God's attention.

    WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME IS YOUR HEALTH
    Few things test our faith like problems in our bodies.
    When sickness comes, procedures are necessary, pain continues, or doctors don't have all the answers, fear can begin whispering:
    “What if things get worse?”
    But faith responds:
    “What if God carries me through?”
    Your faith isn't based upon whether you immediately receive the report you desire. Your faith is anchored in the character of the God who promised:
    “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” — Hebrews 13:5
    When your body is weak, God remains strong.
    When you don't know what tomorrow holds, God is already standing in your tomorrow.
    Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep seeking appropriate medical care. Keep trusting God one day at a time.

    WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME IS FINANCIAL!
    Financial pressure can affect almost every area of life.
    Bills keep coming.
    Unexpected expenses happen.
    The money doesn't seem to stretch far enough.
    You may look at what you have and wonder, “Lord, how am I going to make it?”
    Remember what Paul declared:
    “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19
    Notice Paul said “my God.”
    Your source is bigger than your paycheck.
    That doesn't mean we shouldn't budget, plan, save, work, or make wise financial decisions. But after you have done what you can do, don't allow financial pressure to convince you that God has forgotten you.
    The same God who provided yesterday is still God today.

    WHEN THE DIFFICULT TIME IS IN YOUR MARRIAGE
    Sometimes the storm isn't outside the house.
    Sometimes the storm is inside the house.
    Husband and wife may love each other but still experience seasons of disagreement, disappointment, communication problems, financial stress, hurt feelings, or emotional distance.
    During those seasons, the enemy wants you to concentrate exclusively on what is wrong.
    But Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us:
    “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
    Husband. Wife. God.
    Don't allow a difficult chapter to convince you that the entire story is over.
    Pray before reacting.
    Listen before assuming.
    Forgive instead of keeping score.
    Communicate instead of withdrawing.
    And when needed, seek wise, godly counsel.
    Sometimes faith means believing God can heal what has been wounded, restore what has been damaged, and rebuild what has been weakened.

    WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME INVOLVES YOUR CHILDREN
    There is a special kind of pain that comes when your children are struggling.
    You raised them.
    You prayed for them.
    You taught them.
    You tried to guide them.
    Yet there comes a time when you cannot make every decision for them.
    That's when you have to remember:
    Your children may get beyond your reach, but they can never get beyond God's reach.
    Proverbs 22:6 says:
    “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
    Keep praying.
    Keep loving.
    Keep speaking truth.
    Keep setting healthy boundaries.
    And keep trusting God with the parts of their lives that you cannot control.
    God knows exactly where your children are.

    DON'T LET A HARD SEASON MAKE YOU FORGET A FAITHFUL GOD
    One of the enemy's strategies during difficult seasons is to make you forget everything God has already brought you through.
    Remember the prayers He has already answered.
    Remember the doors He has already opened.
    Remember the times you thought you weren't going to make it—but somehow God carried you through.
    David faced Goliath with confidence because he remembered the lion and the bear.
    Sometimes today's battle requires you to remember yesterday's deliverance.
    Psalm 77:11 declares:
    “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
    If God carried you before, He has not lost His ability to carry you now.

    YOUR DIFFICULT SEASON HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE!
    Psalm 30:5 declares:
    “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
    Notice Scripture says weeping may endure.
    That means you may cry for a season.
    You may struggle for a season.
    You may have questions for a season.
    You may feel overwhelmed for a season.
    But seasons change.
    Don't make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances.
    Don't abandon your faith because life became difficult.
    Don't stop praying because the answer hasn't arrived.
    Don't stop worshiping because you're hurting.
    Don't stop believing because you cannot see what God is doing.
    Galatians 6:9 declares:
    “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
    Your responsibility is not to figure everything out.
    Your responsibility is to keep trusting the One who already has.

    WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE HIS HAND, TRUST HIS HEART
    You may not understand this season.
    You may not understand why God allowed it.
    You may not know when circumstances will change.
    But one thing remains certain:
    God has not abandoned you.
    Isaiah 43:2 says:
    “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee…”
    God didn't say if you go through the waters.
    He said when.
    But He also promised:
    “I will be with thee.”
    That's the promise.
    You are going through it.
    You're not building your house in it.
    You're not making your permanent residence in it.
    You're going THROUGH it!
    So keep praying.
    Keep worshiping.
    Keep believing.
    Keep standing.
    Keep trusting.
    And above everything else—
    KEEP THE FAITH!
    Because the same God who kept you before the storm is the God who will keep you in the storm, and He will still be God when you come out of the storm!

    PRAYER...
    Heavenly Father,
    We come before You in the mighty name of Jesus, acknowledging that You are our refuge, our strength, our provider, our healer, our defender, and our ever-present help in trouble.
    Father, someone reading this devotional is going through a difficult season right now.
    For some, it is their health.
    For others, it is their finances.
    For someone else, it is their marriage, their children, or another family relationship.
    Some are fighting battles they haven't told anyone about. They smile publicly while crying privately. They encourage everybody else while secretly wondering, “Lord, when will my situation change?”
    Father, strengthen them!
    Where there is fear, release faith.
    Where there is confusion, release peace.
    Where there is weakness, release strength.
    Where there is discouragement, release hope.
    Where there is sickness, we ask for healing and sustaining grace.
    Where there is financial pressure, provide wisdom, resources, opportunities, and provision.
    Where marriages are struggling, bring communication, forgiveness, understanding, restoration, and renewed love.
    Where parents are concerned about their children, remind them that their children are still in Your hands.
    Father, silence every voice of fear telling us that our situation is hopeless.
    Remind us that You are still God!
    We may not understand the process, but we trust the Potter.
    We may not understand the storm, but we trust the One who commands the winds and the waves.
    We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow.
    Give us faith that will stand when circumstances tell us to quit.
    Give us faith that will worship while we're waiting.
    Give us faith that will pray when we're tired.
    Give us faith that declares like Job:
    “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” — Job 13:15
    Father, don't merely bring us out of this difficult season—bring us out stronger, wiser, closer to You, and with a testimony that will strengthen somebody else.
    We declare that trouble will not destroy our faith.
    Pressure will not steal our praise.
    Waiting will not cancel our worship.
    And difficulty will not separate us from our God.
    We will stand.
    We will pray.
    We will believe.
    WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
    In the mighty, matchless, powerful name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
    AMEN AND AMEN!

    DECLARATION OF FAITH...
    I DECLARE that I will KEEP THE FAITH!
    I may be pressed, but I will not be destroyed.
    I may be confused, but I will not lose my confidence in God.
    I may cry, but I will keep believing.
    I may hurt, but I will keep worshiping.
    My health will not steal my faith.
    My finances will not steal my faith.
    Problems in my marriage or family will not steal my faith.
    Concern for my children will not steal my faith.
    I declare that GOD IS STILL WITH ME!
    God is still providing.
    God is still healing.
    God is still restoring.
    God is still opening doors.
    God is still making ways.
    God is still working—even when I cannot see Him working!
    THIS DIFFICULT SEASON WILL NOT BE THE END OF MY STORY!
    I will come through this season with stronger faith, deeper worship, greater wisdom, and a powerful testimony!
    I will walk by FAITH and not by sight.
    I will trust God when I understand Him, and I will trust Him when I don't.
    And until my change comes…
    I WILL PRAY!
    I WILL STAND!
    I WILL WORSHIP!
    I WILL BELIEVE!
    AND I WILL KEEP THE FAITH!
    IN JESUS' NAME — AMEN!
    KEEPING THE FAITH WHILE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES! When Life Gets Hard, Hold On to God Even Tighter Key Scripture: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) Thought Of The Day.... There are seasons in life when keeping the faith is easier said than done. It is easy to declare, “God is good!” when everything is going well. It is easy to shout when the bills are paid, the family is getting along, your body feels strong, your marriage is peaceful, your children are doing well, and the doors you have been praying for are opening. But what happens when life gets difficult? What happens when you pray—and the situation doesn't immediately change? What happens when the doctor's report concerns you? When your body is hurting and you are tired of hurting? When your finances are stretched beyond what you can see? When there is tension between husband and wife? When your children are struggling or making decisions that keep you awake at night? When relationships in your family become strained? Can you still trust God when you don't understand what God is doing? That is where faith becomes more than something we talk about. Faith becomes something we live. Hebrews 11:1 declares: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith does not mean pretending everything is okay. Faith says, “Everything may not be okay right now, but I know the One who is holding me while I go through it.” FAITH DOESN'T DENY THE DIFFICULTY—IT DECLARES THAT GOD IS GREATER Sometimes Christians mistakenly believe that having faith means we cannot acknowledge that something hurts. But David cried. Job grieved. Jeremiah wept. Paul experienced suffering. Even Jesus wept. Faith doesn't require you to deny your pain. Faith requires you not to allow your pain to become greater than your confidence in God. You can have tears in your eyes and still have faith in your heart. You can say: “Lord, I'm hurting, but I trust You.” “Lord, I'm tired, but I'm still following You.” “Lord, I don't understand, but I still believe You.” “Lord, I don't know how this is going to work out, but I know You are still God.” Psalm 34:17 reminds us: “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” Your trouble has God's attention. WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME IS YOUR HEALTH Few things test our faith like problems in our bodies. When sickness comes, procedures are necessary, pain continues, or doctors don't have all the answers, fear can begin whispering: “What if things get worse?” But faith responds: “What if God carries me through?” Your faith isn't based upon whether you immediately receive the report you desire. Your faith is anchored in the character of the God who promised: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” — Hebrews 13:5 When your body is weak, God remains strong. When you don't know what tomorrow holds, God is already standing in your tomorrow. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep seeking appropriate medical care. Keep trusting God one day at a time. WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME IS FINANCIAL! Financial pressure can affect almost every area of life. Bills keep coming. Unexpected expenses happen. The money doesn't seem to stretch far enough. You may look at what you have and wonder, “Lord, how am I going to make it?” Remember what Paul declared: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19 Notice Paul said “my God.” Your source is bigger than your paycheck. That doesn't mean we shouldn't budget, plan, save, work, or make wise financial decisions. But after you have done what you can do, don't allow financial pressure to convince you that God has forgotten you. The same God who provided yesterday is still God today. WHEN THE DIFFICULT TIME IS IN YOUR MARRIAGE Sometimes the storm isn't outside the house. Sometimes the storm is inside the house. Husband and wife may love each other but still experience seasons of disagreement, disappointment, communication problems, financial stress, hurt feelings, or emotional distance. During those seasons, the enemy wants you to concentrate exclusively on what is wrong. But Ecclesiastes 4:12 reminds us: “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Husband. Wife. God. Don't allow a difficult chapter to convince you that the entire story is over. Pray before reacting. Listen before assuming. Forgive instead of keeping score. Communicate instead of withdrawing. And when needed, seek wise, godly counsel. Sometimes faith means believing God can heal what has been wounded, restore what has been damaged, and rebuild what has been weakened. WHEN YOUR DIFFICULT TIME INVOLVES YOUR CHILDREN There is a special kind of pain that comes when your children are struggling. You raised them. You prayed for them. You taught them. You tried to guide them. Yet there comes a time when you cannot make every decision for them. That's when you have to remember: Your children may get beyond your reach, but they can never get beyond God's reach. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep speaking truth. Keep setting healthy boundaries. And keep trusting God with the parts of their lives that you cannot control. God knows exactly where your children are. DON'T LET A HARD SEASON MAKE YOU FORGET A FAITHFUL GOD One of the enemy's strategies during difficult seasons is to make you forget everything God has already brought you through. Remember the prayers He has already answered. Remember the doors He has already opened. Remember the times you thought you weren't going to make it—but somehow God carried you through. David faced Goliath with confidence because he remembered the lion and the bear. Sometimes today's battle requires you to remember yesterday's deliverance. Psalm 77:11 declares: “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” If God carried you before, He has not lost His ability to carry you now. YOUR DIFFICULT SEASON HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE! Psalm 30:5 declares: “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Notice Scripture says weeping may endure. That means you may cry for a season. You may struggle for a season. You may have questions for a season. You may feel overwhelmed for a season. But seasons change. Don't make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances. Don't abandon your faith because life became difficult. Don't stop praying because the answer hasn't arrived. Don't stop worshiping because you're hurting. Don't stop believing because you cannot see what God is doing. Galatians 6:9 declares: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Your responsibility is not to figure everything out. Your responsibility is to keep trusting the One who already has. WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE HIS HAND, TRUST HIS HEART You may not understand this season. You may not understand why God allowed it. You may not know when circumstances will change. But one thing remains certain: God has not abandoned you. Isaiah 43:2 says: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee…” God didn't say if you go through the waters. He said when. But He also promised: “I will be with thee.” That's the promise. You are going through it. You're not building your house in it. You're not making your permanent residence in it. You're going THROUGH it! So keep praying. Keep worshiping. Keep believing. Keep standing. Keep trusting. And above everything else— KEEP THE FAITH! Because the same God who kept you before the storm is the God who will keep you in the storm, and He will still be God when you come out of the storm! PRAYER... Heavenly Father, We come before You in the mighty name of Jesus, acknowledging that You are our refuge, our strength, our provider, our healer, our defender, and our ever-present help in trouble. Father, someone reading this devotional is going through a difficult season right now. For some, it is their health. For others, it is their finances. For someone else, it is their marriage, their children, or another family relationship. Some are fighting battles they haven't told anyone about. They smile publicly while crying privately. They encourage everybody else while secretly wondering, “Lord, when will my situation change?” Father, strengthen them! Where there is fear, release faith. Where there is confusion, release peace. Where there is weakness, release strength. Where there is discouragement, release hope. Where there is sickness, we ask for healing and sustaining grace. Where there is financial pressure, provide wisdom, resources, opportunities, and provision. Where marriages are struggling, bring communication, forgiveness, understanding, restoration, and renewed love. Where parents are concerned about their children, remind them that their children are still in Your hands. Father, silence every voice of fear telling us that our situation is hopeless. Remind us that You are still God! We may not understand the process, but we trust the Potter. We may not understand the storm, but we trust the One who commands the winds and the waves. We may not know what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow. Give us faith that will stand when circumstances tell us to quit. Give us faith that will worship while we're waiting. Give us faith that will pray when we're tired. Give us faith that declares like Job: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” — Job 13:15 Father, don't merely bring us out of this difficult season—bring us out stronger, wiser, closer to You, and with a testimony that will strengthen somebody else. We declare that trouble will not destroy our faith. Pressure will not steal our praise. Waiting will not cancel our worship. And difficulty will not separate us from our God. We will stand. We will pray. We will believe. WE WILL KEEP THE FAITH! In the mighty, matchless, powerful name of Jesus Christ, we pray. AMEN AND AMEN! DECLARATION OF FAITH... I DECLARE that I will KEEP THE FAITH! I may be pressed, but I will not be destroyed. I may be confused, but I will not lose my confidence in God. I may cry, but I will keep believing. I may hurt, but I will keep worshiping. My health will not steal my faith. My finances will not steal my faith. Problems in my marriage or family will not steal my faith. Concern for my children will not steal my faith. I declare that GOD IS STILL WITH ME! God is still providing. God is still healing. God is still restoring. God is still opening doors. God is still making ways. God is still working—even when I cannot see Him working! THIS DIFFICULT SEASON WILL NOT BE THE END OF MY STORY! I will come through this season with stronger faith, deeper worship, greater wisdom, and a powerful testimony! I will walk by FAITH and not by sight. I will trust God when I understand Him, and I will trust Him when I don't. And until my change comes… I WILL PRAY! I WILL STAND! I WILL WORSHIP! I WILL BELIEVE! AND I WILL KEEP THE FAITH! IN JESUS' NAME — AMEN!
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  • Acts 21:

    "1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
    2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
    3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
    4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
    5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
    6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
    7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
    8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
    9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
    10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
    11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
    12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
    13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
    14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
    15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
    16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
    17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
    18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
    19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
    20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
    21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
    22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
    23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
    24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
    25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
    26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
    27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
    28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
    29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
    30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
    31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
    32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
    33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
    34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.
    35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
    36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
    37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
    38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
    39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
    40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,"
    Acts 21: "1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: 2 And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. 3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden. 4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. 6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again. 7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. 15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. 16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. 17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,"
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  • St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe

    St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894 in Poland, to father Julius Kolbe and mother Maria Dabrowska. He joined the Franciscans in 1907 and ordained as a priest in 1918. He founded a movement devoted to Our Lady and spread this movement through a magazine named "The Knight of the Immaculate". He was arrested by Nazis on February 17, 1941 and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. He was singing hymns to the Virgin Mary in the concentration camp without any fear. He was tortured in the Nazi concentration camp without giving any food, water and other facilities for more than two weeks. When another person was due to be killed on a particular day, that man started crying" my wife, my children". Then Maximilian volunteered to take the place of that man to die, to save that poor man. He was killed by giving carbolic acid injection. He died on August 14, 1941.

    A cure from intestinal tuberculosis to one Angela Testoni in July, 1948 and also a cure from calcification on the arteries/sclerosis were attributed to the intervention of St. Maximilian.

    He was beatified in 1971 by Pope Paul-VI and canonized by Pope John Paul-II on October 10, 1982. He was declared as a martyr and is venerated as a patron saint of drug addicts and political prisoners.
    #catholic #saint #St. #drug #addiction #politicalprison #political #prision #drugfree #addictionfree #savepoor #injection #virginmary #Mary #intervention #interventionfordisease
    #disease #illness #cure #politicalharrasament #prisioerofconscience #dissident #undertrialprisoners #prisionalwithoutanycharge
    St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894 in Poland, to father Julius Kolbe and mother Maria Dabrowska. He joined the Franciscans in 1907 and ordained as a priest in 1918. He founded a movement devoted to Our Lady and spread this movement through a magazine named "The Knight of the Immaculate". He was arrested by Nazis on February 17, 1941 and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. He was singing hymns to the Virgin Mary in the concentration camp without any fear. He was tortured in the Nazi concentration camp without giving any food, water and other facilities for more than two weeks. When another person was due to be killed on a particular day, that man started crying" my wife, my children". Then Maximilian volunteered to take the place of that man to die, to save that poor man. He was killed by giving carbolic acid injection. He died on August 14, 1941. A cure from intestinal tuberculosis to one Angela Testoni in July, 1948 and also a cure from calcification on the arteries/sclerosis were attributed to the intervention of St. Maximilian. He was beatified in 1971 by Pope Paul-VI and canonized by Pope John Paul-II on October 10, 1982. He was declared as a martyr and is venerated as a patron saint of drug addicts and political prisoners. #catholic #saint #St. #drug #addiction #politicalprison #political #prision #drugfree #addictionfree #savepoor #injection #virginmary #Mary #intervention #interventionfordisease #disease #illness #cure #politicalharrasament #prisioerofconscience #dissident #undertrialprisoners #prisionalwithoutanycharge
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  • Good morning, brethren.
    1. Morning devotion for today.

    MD.i. MORNING TEA
    THE WORD FOR TODAY
    THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 2O26.
    "RESPONDING TO FAILURE"

    ‘A righteous person may fall…but he gets up again...’ Proverbs 24:16 GWT

    YOU CAN tell a lot about somebody by how they respond to life. Everybody gets knocked down, but how fast you get up again is what counts. Verla Gillmor says: ‘Failure teaches us things we can’t learn any other way…Treat it as a visitor allowed to deliver unpleasant news, but don’t let it take up residence. Remember, all failures aren’t equal. For example, when a beautiful, talented young woman is the first-runner-up in a beauty contest, some say she failed. Yet some people would give their right arm to be named the second most attractive female in a competition. It’s a matter of perspective… [examine] your failures and weigh them according to their importance in the overall scheme of things…I once received a ‘D’ at college…it’s ridiculous, but that sticks in my mind like a pebble in my shoe. Why do I fixate on that and not the fact that it happened during the term I carried nineteen credit hours, worked part-time, got engaged, and spent six weeks in the college health centre with mononucleosis? When I put the experience in context, it loses its power to undermine my confidence. Failure teaches us what’s important. I have a friend who was made redundant…It caught her by surprise because she was good at her work. “I tended to be full of pride,” she says. “I got away with it because I was so successful. Losing my job…humbled me. With pride you have no permission to fail. It’s a heavy yoke…and I don’t wear it any more. I feel lighter in my spirit without the burden of having to be perfect.’’’

    Bible In A Year: Judg 9:34 – 11:40, Matt 17:1-13, Ps 119:73-80, Pro 20:25, Ecc 5:4-6. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation

    *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*.

    MD.ii. [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA*

    THURSDAY, 13TH AUGUST, 2026.

    *A MORE DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN*

    *TEXT:* REVELATION 21:1-8.

    1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
    2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
    3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
    4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
    5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
    6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
    7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
    8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

    *Timeless Truth:*_"For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"_ (Hebrews 11:10).

    *INTRODUCTION*

    When Garden Eden was created, it was the most beautiful place Adam could ever conceive of, with all the beautiful birds, animals, plants and cool weather. However, nobody needed to tell Adam that there must be a better place because the God that used to commune with him in *"the cool of the day"* was not living in Eden. He must be dwelling in a better place. This faith was carried on from generations to generations until the time of Abraham, who in spite of all the wealth promised him, his affection was focused on the better city. *"For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"*. Nobody was given a better revelation of heaven than Apostle John. Enoch and Elijah were said to be translated to heaven. How heaven looked like was left to human imaginations. Jesus Christ also mentioned heaven as the abode of the Triune God. He only told us it has many mansions. At the mount of transfiguration was revealed the glory of heaven and how the inhabitants will look like. Nothing more was revealed. Stephen saw heaven at the point of death but just faintly (Acts 7:55-56). Paul the apostle was taken to heaven which he called the third heaven, but he said he was not permitted to reveal what he saw to any except that he exposed that it has many foundations (Acts 11:10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The text shows us the climax of God's revelation about heaven. Yet the Bible writers were short of words to describe heaven except that it is the place where God dwells from eternity, with all His created angels and saints. *"How beautiful heaven must be"*.

    *1. Prepared Heaven*

    a. Those who doubt the testimony of Apostle John must be ready to doubt his gospel and epistles that have transformed lives and brought supernatural comforts and revelation of Jesus Christ to mankind for centuries. *"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth"*. He was not told or heard from a third party. He saw it himself. It was not a remodelled new heaven and earth, but a totally new heaven and a new earth. *"And there was no more sea"*. There are three types of heaven mentioned in the Bible. There is the atmospheric heaven where the rain comes from (Deuteronomy 11:11). There is the second heaven called heavenlies where we have the galaxies including the primary domain of demonic forces and angelic conflicts (Ephesians 6:12). Then we have the third heaven or paradise where God dwells (2 Corinthians 12:2). *"For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away"*. The first two heavens were passed away except the third heaven. 2 Peter 3:12, 13 reveals how this will happen. *"….. wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "*. The earth and the heavens will be destroyed through fervent heat. Jesus Himself confirmed that heaven and earth with all their structures, beauties, learnings and philosophies shall all pass away except the Word of God (Matthew 5:18, 24:35). In fact, all the human bodies will give way to eternal and indestructible bodies. Thus, what Apostle John saw was the giving away of all things that are visible and temporary for things that are eternal.
    b. *"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven"*. The earthly Jerusalem was referred to as the city of the Great King (Psalm 48:2, Matthew 5:35). This is referring to the Millennium holy Jerusalem from where Jesus will rule the whole world physically. John the apostle said that Jerusalem ceased to exist, but gave way to a completely New Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem was seen coming *"out of heaven"*. Obviously, it is seen coming from the third heaven which is the eternal throne of God. He used the imagery of the beauty of a bride coming to meet the husband to describe the beauty of heaven. This is the best description human language can give. *Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband"*. He then heard the voice of God announcing the plan of God right from eternity. What was that plan? That God will physically, live among men as King over loving subjects; as Father over His children in a happy family set up and as God over His redeemed and people. *"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God"*. This is the beginning of heaven, happy and holy eternity.

    *Question*

    Are you getting prepared for heaven in the practical sense of it? If Not, then you don't actually, believe in heaven.

    *2. Pacification with Happiness*

    a. The Apostle further gave a glimpse of how we will feel in heaven. *"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes"*. Tears of sorrow, anguish, lost loved ones, physical and psychological pains, etc.will all be forgotten. This is difficult to imagine for man. It is like imagining how God promised that *"your sins and iniquities will I remember no more"*. We don't have a problem with God forgiving our sins, but God forgetting our sins will be difficult to imagine. We will all forget the painful past as we will be overwhelmed with the glory of God for eternity. *"There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away"*. The pains and the tears, called *"light afflictions"* will be for a moment. They will not survive the joy of eternity.
    b. For those who have difficulty with believing, *"he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful"*. Heaven is prepared already. When Jesus Christ was about going to heaven, He assured the disciples of going to build mansions for them. About 60 years later, when John saw the revelation, he was told by the Lord that it was done. It means it is a settled and concluded matter. *"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end"*. In heaven there will not be any heat or tension, but total refreshments and happiness. *"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely"*. Everything God has will be totally ours. All the gifts of God, physical or spiritual, will belong to us as possessions. Nothing needed or useful will be denied. We suffer different lacks while on earth. Heaven will be the opposite. *"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son"*. Are you an overcomer over sin, Satan and all his temptations?

    *Question*

    What are the things you are suffering on earth? Do you see them as temporary?

    *3. Punishment of Hell*

    What are the things that will disqualify any from entering heaven? What would be the abode of those who will miss heaven? The answer is fearful. *"But the fearful, and unbelieving"*. Every evil action stems from fear and unbelief. Unbelief of what God has spoken and the consequences of disobedience, fear of man and what man can do are terrible paralysing feelings that draw men to perdition. *"And the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars"*. Notice that all those sins are now also found inside the Church among professing saints. So there will be eternal surprises when those who profess that heaven is their home find themselves in a totally different place called hell. They *"shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone*.

    *Question*

    Are you transparently free from all sins?

    *Prayer Points*

    1.Give praises to God that you are in that number saved by grace .
    2.Ask God to search your life, expose, purge and cleanse you from all disqualifying habits .
    3.Pray that the vision of heaven will get brighter and brighter to you and your mind and affections will be focused on heavenly things .
    4.Pray that all believers will be delivered from all forms of self deception and will take entering heaven more seriously .

    *HYMN:* How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.

    *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* JOB 16-18.
    [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS)

    THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026```

    *SHORT SHELF-LIFE OF PAIN* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🏽🏽‍🏽🏽

    ```TEXT:REVELATION 21:1-8```

    ```KEY VERSE:``` _*"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (REVELATION 21:4).*_

    *John Harper, a Scottish Baptist pastor and evangelist, died on the _RMS Titanic_ in 1912. His last words, as testified by survivors, were "I have seen heaven, and it is beautiful" and "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." Despite his death, Harper used his final moments to preach the gospel, expressing his deep assurance that beyond death lay a place of eternal peace. A rescued survivor testified that Harper, clinging to the wreckage, asked if he was saved and urged him to believe in Jesus Christ. The survivor later accepted Christ and called himself "the last convert of John Harper."*

    *Today's passage paints a breath-taking vision of the new heaven and new earth. John sees the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending from God, adorned like a bride. A powerful voice declares that God will dwell among His people, wiping away every tear. Death, mourning, crying, and pain will be gone forever. The former things will pass away, and everything will be made new. God, the Alpha and Omega, promises the water of life to those who thirst. But He also warns that those who reject Him (those living in sin, fear, unbelief) will face eternal separation in the lake of fire.*

    *In this world, we experience suffering in many forms such as loss, illness, disappointment, pain and injustice. But for those who belong to Christ, these trials are temporary. Christ assures us that a glorious future awaits us, one where God Himself will comfort us, and all suffering will cease. This hope should encourage believers to endure hardships with faith, knowing that one day, we will step into a place where joy is endless and pain is no more. It also calls us to live righteously, rejecting sin and embracing the promise of eternity with God.*

    *No matter what trials you face today, hold unto the hope of heaven. Let this promise strengthen your faith, drive you to share the gospel, and encourage you to live in readiness for Christ's return. A day is coming when all suffering will cease and there will be no more tears, pain or death. Get ready to be part of this eternally glorious moment.*

    ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*Nobody gets to heaven by accident.*_

    ```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOB 16-18*



    Short Shelf-Life Of Pain
    https://dailymanna.app//
    *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 5: NEVER GIVE UP; GHS 58: THE LAST MILE OF THE WAY; GHS 147: SWEET BY AND BY; AND GHS 175: HE IS COMING AGAIN*

    *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter*
    *#DailyManna13thAugust2026*
    *#GCK*
    *#WorshipNuggets*
    *#BibleNuggets*
    *#LeadershipNuggets*
    *#RevivalNuggets*
    *#CrusadeNuggets*
    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]
    [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY```

    _*HIGHER EVERYDY: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_

    ✍🏽🏻‍ 🏽🛰

    ```THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026```

    *JESUS SETS FREE* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🏽🏽‍🏽🏽

    ```TEXT:JOHN 8:28-36```

    ``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (JOHN 8:36).*_

    *A song writer wrote:*

    _*"There's power, power, wonder-working power*_
    _*In the blood of the Lamb;*_
    _*There's power, power, wonder-working power*_
    _*In the precious blood of the Lamb."*_

    *The words of this song reminds us of the power that is resident in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the anointed One, the Messiah. Those who accept His lordship can experience His free gift of salvation.*

    *Note that though Christ has the power to save. He does not force His salvation on anyone because human beings are free moral agents and are made to be accountable for their choices.*

    *A lot of youths need freedom from bondage to sin and the devil. They need to acknowledge their sins and accept Christ as the only Saviour that can set free. Some are under slavery to fornication, masturbation, cultism, internet fraud, and so on.*

    *Friend, are you one of those lost in sin and in bondage to the devil? Get rid of your dirty deeds and believe that Jesus can set free, and He will set you free.*

    ```QUOTE:``` _*Jesus is the anointed One.*_

    ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Jesus can set you free indeed.*_

    🏽🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, have mercy on me and set me free.*_



    Jesus Sets Free
    https://dailymanna.app//

    *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter*
    *#HigherEveryday13thAugust2026*
    *#GCK*
    *#WorshipNuggets*
    *#BibleNuggets*
    *#LeadershipNuggets*
    *#RevivalNuggets*
    *#CrusadeNuggets*
    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]
    [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY```

    _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣)*_

    🏼🏼🏼🏼🏼‍

    ```THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026```

    *GOD IS IN CHARGE* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🏽🏽‍🏽🏽

    ```PSALM 35:1-9```



    ```Key Verse:``` _*"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation" (Psalm 35:9).*_



    Nancy was sent to a supermarket to get some food items for the family. Unknown to her, the shop was under attack by armed robbers. She went in, and she was kidnapped!

    While being abducted, she remembered the Bible verses that her grandma had taught her. She rehearsed it aloud to the confusion of her abductors, and attracted helpers nearby. God heard her confession of faith and saved her. She was rescued.

    In times like these, when the society seems insecure; neither rich nor poor are free from the troubles in the world - kidnapping, cyber bullying, famine, climate change, diseases, natural disasters, and instability.

    *Children of God need not fear. God is in charge of all situations. The word of God is not just a shield for all those who believe, it is a formidable weapon that no force can withstand. Read, believe, confess and have faith in God's Word as you move through the days and months of the year.*



    ```rayer:``` _*Lord, let your word dwell in me richly, and teach me to know that you are in charge of my life.*_ 🏽

    ``` Further Reading:``` *Ephesians 6:11-18*


    God Is In Charge
    https://dailymanna.app//

    *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter*
    *#SincereMilk13thAugust2026*
    *#GCK*
    *#WorshipNuggets*
    *#BibleNuggets*
    *#LeadershipNuggets*
    *#RevivalNuggets*
    *#CrusadeNuggets*
    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]

    2. Morning Prayer for today.

    MP.i. Morning Prayer

    For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. ⏤ Galatians 5:13

    Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair. ⏤ G.K. Chesterton

    O God, who has redeemed us by the precious blood of the Lamb, help us to live for Your praise and glory in all that we do. Since Jesus Christ has died for us and we are not our own, we want to live lives worthy of Your holiness. We confess and renounce all our sins. Teach us to hate sin and give us the grace to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, to the glory of Your holy name.

    We ask You to reveal Yourself to us this morning as we go forth and to give us the assurance of Your presence. You have promised that as our days are, so shall our strength be, and that Your grace will always be sufficient for us. We cling to these promises as we enter a new day whose experiences we cannot predict. We do not know what dangers we will encounter, what burdens will be placed on us, what temptations will whisper in our ears, what pitfalls will lie in our path, or what insidious influences will threaten the purity of our souls.

    So we hide ourselves in You and trust You to keep us safe all day.

    We desire to be useful and helpful to others. Save us from selfishness and self-centeredness. Teach us the great lesson of service. May we have the mind of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. May we serve one another in love. May we live to help others and do good.

    Help us to see the needs we can meet, to perceive the ways we can serve, and then give us the true spirit of ministry so that we may do the things that will bless others. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may be like You. We ask all this in the name of our Savior. Amen.

    https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/39/morning

    #taptapstudio
    #youdevotion.
    Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🎀💝🎁🌺🌹 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 2O26. "RESPONDING TO FAILURE" ‘A righteous person may fall…but he gets up again...’ Proverbs 24:16 GWT YOU CAN tell a lot about somebody by how they respond to life. Everybody gets knocked down, but how fast you get up again is what counts. Verla Gillmor says: ‘Failure teaches us things we can’t learn any other way…Treat it as a visitor allowed to deliver unpleasant news, but don’t let it take up residence. Remember, all failures aren’t equal. For example, when a beautiful, talented young woman is the first-runner-up in a beauty contest, some say she failed. Yet some people would give their right arm to be named the second most attractive female in a competition. It’s a matter of perspective… [examine] your failures and weigh them according to their importance in the overall scheme of things…I once received a ‘D’ at college…it’s ridiculous, but that sticks in my mind like a pebble in my shoe. Why do I fixate on that and not the fact that it happened during the term I carried nineteen credit hours, worked part-time, got engaged, and spent six weeks in the college health centre with mononucleosis? When I put the experience in context, it loses its power to undermine my confidence. Failure teaches us what’s important. I have a friend who was made redundant…It caught her by surprise because she was good at her work. “I tended to be full of pride,” she says. “I got away with it because I was so successful. Losing my job…humbled me. With pride you have no permission to fail. It’s a heavy yoke…and I don’t wear it any more. I feel lighter in my spirit without the burden of having to be perfect.’’’ Bible In A Year: Judg 9:34 – 11:40, Matt 17:1-13, Ps 119:73-80, Pro 20:25, Ecc 5:4-6. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation 🌹🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌷🎀💝🌹. MD.ii. [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA* THURSDAY, 13TH AUGUST, 2026. *A MORE DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN* *TEXT:* REVELATION 21:1-8. 1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. *Timeless Truth:*_"For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"_ (Hebrews 11:10). *INTRODUCTION* When Garden Eden was created, it was the most beautiful place Adam could ever conceive of, with all the beautiful birds, animals, plants and cool weather. However, nobody needed to tell Adam that there must be a better place because the God that used to commune with him in *"the cool of the day"* was not living in Eden. He must be dwelling in a better place. This faith was carried on from generations to generations until the time of Abraham, who in spite of all the wealth promised him, his affection was focused on the better city. *"For he (Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God"*. Nobody was given a better revelation of heaven than Apostle John. Enoch and Elijah were said to be translated to heaven. How heaven looked like was left to human imaginations. Jesus Christ also mentioned heaven as the abode of the Triune God. He only told us it has many mansions. At the mount of transfiguration was revealed the glory of heaven and how the inhabitants will look like. Nothing more was revealed. Stephen saw heaven at the point of death but just faintly (Acts 7:55-56). Paul the apostle was taken to heaven which he called the third heaven, but he said he was not permitted to reveal what he saw to any except that he exposed that it has many foundations (Acts 11:10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The text shows us the climax of God's revelation about heaven. Yet the Bible writers were short of words to describe heaven except that it is the place where God dwells from eternity, with all His created angels and saints. *"How beautiful heaven must be"*. *1. Prepared Heaven* a. Those who doubt the testimony of Apostle John must be ready to doubt his gospel and epistles that have transformed lives and brought supernatural comforts and revelation of Jesus Christ to mankind for centuries. *"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth"*. He was not told or heard from a third party. He saw it himself. It was not a remodelled new heaven and earth, but a totally new heaven and a new earth. *"And there was no more sea"*. There are three types of heaven mentioned in the Bible. There is the atmospheric heaven where the rain comes from (Deuteronomy 11:11). There is the second heaven called heavenlies where we have the galaxies including the primary domain of demonic forces and angelic conflicts (Ephesians 6:12). Then we have the third heaven or paradise where God dwells (2 Corinthians 12:2). *"For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away"*. The first two heavens were passed away except the third heaven. 2 Peter 3:12, 13 reveals how this will happen. *"….. wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. "*. The earth and the heavens will be destroyed through fervent heat. Jesus Himself confirmed that heaven and earth with all their structures, beauties, learnings and philosophies shall all pass away except the Word of God (Matthew 5:18, 24:35). In fact, all the human bodies will give way to eternal and indestructible bodies. Thus, what Apostle John saw was the giving away of all things that are visible and temporary for things that are eternal. b. *"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven"*. The earthly Jerusalem was referred to as the city of the Great King (Psalm 48:2, Matthew 5:35). This is referring to the Millennium holy Jerusalem from where Jesus will rule the whole world physically. John the apostle said that Jerusalem ceased to exist, but gave way to a completely New Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem was seen coming *"out of heaven"*. Obviously, it is seen coming from the third heaven which is the eternal throne of God. He used the imagery of the beauty of a bride coming to meet the husband to describe the beauty of heaven. This is the best description human language can give. *Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband"*. He then heard the voice of God announcing the plan of God right from eternity. What was that plan? That God will physically, live among men as King over loving subjects; as Father over His children in a happy family set up and as God over His redeemed and people. *"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God"*. This is the beginning of heaven, happy and holy eternity. *Question* Are you getting prepared for heaven in the practical sense of it? If Not, then you don't actually, believe in heaven. *2. Pacification with Happiness* a. The Apostle further gave a glimpse of how we will feel in heaven. *"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes"*. Tears of sorrow, anguish, lost loved ones, physical and psychological pains, etc.will all be forgotten. This is difficult to imagine for man. It is like imagining how God promised that *"your sins and iniquities will I remember no more"*. We don't have a problem with God forgiving our sins, but God forgetting our sins will be difficult to imagine. We will all forget the painful past as we will be overwhelmed with the glory of God for eternity. *"There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away"*. The pains and the tears, called *"light afflictions"* will be for a moment. They will not survive the joy of eternity. b. For those who have difficulty with believing, *"he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful"*. Heaven is prepared already. When Jesus Christ was about going to heaven, He assured the disciples of going to build mansions for them. About 60 years later, when John saw the revelation, he was told by the Lord that it was done. It means it is a settled and concluded matter. *"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end"*. In heaven there will not be any heat or tension, but total refreshments and happiness. *"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely"*. Everything God has will be totally ours. All the gifts of God, physical or spiritual, will belong to us as possessions. Nothing needed or useful will be denied. We suffer different lacks while on earth. Heaven will be the opposite. *"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son"*. Are you an overcomer over sin, Satan and all his temptations? *Question* What are the things you are suffering on earth? Do you see them as temporary? *3. Punishment of Hell* What are the things that will disqualify any from entering heaven? What would be the abode of those who will miss heaven? The answer is fearful. *"But the fearful, and unbelieving"*. Every evil action stems from fear and unbelief. Unbelief of what God has spoken and the consequences of disobedience, fear of man and what man can do are terrible paralysing feelings that draw men to perdition. *"And the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars"*. Notice that all those sins are now also found inside the Church among professing saints. So there will be eternal surprises when those who profess that heaven is their home find themselves in a totally different place called hell. They *"shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone*. *Question* Are you transparently free from all sins? *Prayer Points* 1.Give praises to God that you are in that number saved by grace 🙏. 2.Ask God to search your life, expose, purge and cleanse you from all disqualifying habits 🙏. 3.Pray that the vision of heaven will get brighter and brighter to you and your mind and affections will be focused on heavenly things 🙏. 4.Pray that all believers will be delivered from all forms of self deception and will take entering heaven more seriously 🙏. *HYMN:* How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* JOB 16-18. [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026``` *SHORT SHELF-LIFE OF PAIN* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️😢😭🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽🙌🏽 📜📜```TEXT:REVELATION 21:1-8```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (REVELATION 21:4).*_ *John Harper, a Scottish Baptist pastor and evangelist, died on the _RMS Titanic_ in 1912. His last words, as testified by survivors, were "I have seen heaven, and it is beautiful" and "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." Despite his death, Harper used his final moments to preach the gospel, expressing his deep assurance that beyond death lay a place of eternal peace. A rescued survivor testified that Harper, clinging to the wreckage, asked if he was saved and urged him to believe in Jesus Christ. The survivor later accepted Christ and called himself "the last convert of John Harper."* *Today's passage paints a breath-taking vision of the new heaven and new earth. John sees the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending from God, adorned like a bride. A powerful voice declares that God will dwell among His people, wiping away every tear. Death, mourning, crying, and pain will be gone forever. The former things will pass away, and everything will be made new. God, the Alpha and Omega, promises the water of life to those who thirst. But He also warns that those who reject Him (those living in sin, fear, unbelief) will face eternal separation in the lake of fire.* *In this world, we experience suffering in many forms such as loss, illness, disappointment, pain and injustice. But for those who belong to Christ, these trials are temporary. Christ assures us that a glorious future awaits us, one where God Himself will comfort us, and all suffering will cease. This hope should encourage believers to endure hardships with faith, knowing that one day, we will step into a place where joy is endless and pain is no more. It also calls us to live righteously, rejecting sin and embracing the promise of eternity with God.* *No matter what trials you face today, hold unto the hope of heaven. Let this promise strengthen your faith, drive you to share the gospel, and encourage you to live in readiness for Christ's return. A day is coming when all suffering will cease and there will be no more tears, pain or death. Get ready to be part of this eternally glorious moment.* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*Nobody gets to heaven by accident.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOB 16-18*📜📜 Short Shelf-Life Of Pain https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 5: NEVER GIVE UP; GHS 58: THE LAST MILE OF THE WAY; GHS 147: SWEET BY AND BY; AND GHS 175: HE IS COMING AGAIN* *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#DailyManna13thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026``` *JESUS SETS FREE* 🎚️📓📖🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️⛓️✝️🩸🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽⛓️‍💥🙌🏽 📜📜```TEXT:JOHN 8:28-36```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (JOHN 8:36).*_ *A song writer wrote:* _*"There's power, power, wonder-working power*_ _*In the blood of the Lamb;*_ _*There's power, power, wonder-working power*_ _*In the precious blood of the Lamb."*_ *The words of this song reminds us of the power that is resident in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the anointed One, the Messiah. Those who accept His lordship can experience His free gift of salvation.* *Note that though Christ has the power to save. He does not force His salvation on anyone because human beings are free moral agents and are made to be accountable for their choices.* *A lot of youths need freedom from bondage to sin and the devil. They need to acknowledge their sins and accept Christ as the only Saviour that can set free. Some are under slavery to fornication, masturbation, cultism, internet fraud, and so on.* *Friend, are you one of those lost in sin and in bondage to the devil? Get rid of your dirty deeds and believe that Jesus can set free, and He will set you free.* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*Jesus is the anointed One.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Jesus can set you free indeed.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, have mercy on me and set me free.*_ Jesus Sets Free https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday13thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [12/08, 8:10 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣6️⃣)*_ 🙇🏼🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️ ```THURSDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2026``` *GOD IS IN CHARGE* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🗣️🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽🙌🏽 📜📜```PSALM 35:1-9```📜📜 🕔📚🖋️🚻😁🎼🏆🍉🪴🌈💻 🔑📖 ```Key Verse:``` _*"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation" (Psalm 35:9).*_ 📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖 Nancy was sent to a supermarket to get some food items for the family. Unknown to her, the shop was under attack by armed robbers. She went in, and she was kidnapped! While being abducted, she remembered the Bible verses that her grandma had taught her. She rehearsed it aloud to the confusion of her abductors, and attracted helpers nearby. God heard her confession of faith and saved her. She was rescued. In times like these, when the society seems insecure; neither rich nor poor are free from the troubles in the world - kidnapping, cyber bullying, famine, climate change, diseases, natural disasters, and instability. *Children of God need not fear. God is in charge of all situations. The word of God is not just a shield for all those who believe, it is a formidable weapon that no force can withstand. Read, believe, confess and have faith in God's Word as you move through the days and months of the year.* 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 ```🅿️rayer:``` _*Lord, let your word dwell in me richly, and teach me to know that you are in charge of my life.*_ 🙏🏽 ```📖 Further Reading:``` *Ephesians 6:11-18* God Is In Charge https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#SincereMilk13thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]. 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. ⏤ Galatians 5:13 Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair. ⏤ G.K. Chesterton O God, who has redeemed us by the precious blood of the Lamb, help us to live for Your praise and glory in all that we do. Since Jesus Christ has died for us and we are not our own, we want to live lives worthy of Your holiness. We confess and renounce all our sins. Teach us to hate sin and give us the grace to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, to the glory of Your holy name. We ask You to reveal Yourself to us this morning as we go forth and to give us the assurance of Your presence. You have promised that as our days are, so shall our strength be, and that Your grace will always be sufficient for us. We cling to these promises as we enter a new day whose experiences we cannot predict. We do not know what dangers we will encounter, what burdens will be placed on us, what temptations will whisper in our ears, what pitfalls will lie in our path, or what insidious influences will threaten the purity of our souls. So we hide ourselves in You and trust You to keep us safe all day. We desire to be useful and helpful to others. Save us from selfishness and self-centeredness. Teach us the great lesson of service. May we have the mind of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. May we serve one another in love. May we live to help others and do good. Help us to see the needs we can meet, to perceive the ways we can serve, and then give us the true spirit of ministry so that we may do the things that will bless others. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may be like You. We ask all this in the name of our Savior. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/39/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.
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  • TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS

    THE SECRET OF JOY.

    Discovering the Joy That Circumstances Cannot Steal.

    Key Text: Philippians 4:4

    > “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”


    There is a difference between happiness and joy.
    Happiness depends on what happens around you.
    Joy depends on Who lives within you.
    You can have money and still have no peace. You can have people around you and still feel lonely. You can face difficulties and still have a song in your heart.
    The world says, “I will rejoice when everything becomes better.”
    But the believer says, “I will rejoice because God is still good, even when everything is not good.”
    Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always” while experiencing hardship. He was not writing from a palace; he knew suffering, rejection, imprisonment, and uncertainty.
    So what was his secret?
    His joy was not connected to his circumstances. His joy was connected to Christ.
    1. JOY BEGINS WITH A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
    Psalm 16:11
    > “In thy presence is fulness of joy.”
    The deepest source of joy is not possessions, success, marriage, promotion, or recognition.
    The deepest source of joy is God's presence.
    When you know that God is with you, you can face situations that would otherwise break you.
    David said:
    Psalm 23:4
    > “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”
    Notice that David did not say, “I will fear no evil because there is no valley.”
    He said, “Though I walk through the valley…”
    The valley may exist, but God's presence is greater than the valley.
    Spiritual Insight
    You lose joy when you make temporary things the foundation of your happiness.
    If your joy depends on money, money can take it.
    If it depends on people, people can disappoint you.
    If it depends on circumstances, circumstances can change.
    But when your joy is rooted in Christ, you can bend without breaking.
    2. JOY COMES FROM KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL
    Romans 8:28
    > “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…”
    This does not mean everything that happens is good.
    Some things are painful.
    Some things are unfair.
    Some things are disappointing.
    But God is powerful enough to take broken pieces and create something meaningful from them.
    Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned.
    Yet eventually he stood in a position of authority.
    His testimony was:
    Genesis 50:20
    > “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.”
    Joseph discovered a powerful secret:
    What people meant for evil, God could turn around for good.
    Therefore, don't allow today's chapter to make you reject the Author of your story.
    3. JOY GROWS WHEN YOU LEARN CONTENTMENT
    Philippians 4:11–12
    Paul said he had learned how to live with abundance and how to live with little.
    That word “learned” is important.
    Contentment is a spiritual discipline.

    You don't automatically become content because you are a Christian. You learn to trust God in every season.
    Paul could say:
    Philippians 4:13
    > “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
    The context is not merely about achieving everything you want.
    Paul was saying:
    “Through Christ, I can remain faithful whether I have much or little.”
    Practical Lesson
    Stop postponing joy.
    Some people say:
    “When I get married, I will be happy.”
    “When I get money, I will rejoice.”
    “When I build my house, I will have peace.”
    “When my ministry grows, I will be satisfied.”
    But if you cannot rejoice while climbing the mountain, you may not rejoice when you reach the top.
    Learn to thank God for today's bread while trusting Him for tomorrow's provision.
    4. JOY IS PROTECTED BY GRATITUDE AND PRAISE
    1 Thessalonians 5:18
    > “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
    Gratitude changes your perspective.
    Complaining says:
    “Look at what I don't have.”
    Thanksgiving says:
    “Look at what God has already done.”
    When you begin to count your blessings, you may discover that you have been surrounded by God's goodness while focusing on one problem.

    Biblical Example: Paul and Silas

    Acts 16:25
    Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned.
    Their backs were wounded. Their feet were fastened. Their future looked uncertain.
    But at midnight:
    > “Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.”
    They did not wait for the prison door to open before they praised God.
    They praised God while the doors were still closed.
    And then something supernatural happened.
    Acts 16:26
    > “And suddenly there was a great earthquake…”
    Their praise did not merely change their emotions.
    God used their worship in the middle of their crisis.
    5. JOY IS A SPIRITUAL WEAPON
    Nehemiah 8:10
    > “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

    Joy is not weakness.
    There are moments when the enemy wants to make you spiritually exhausted through fear, disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness.
    But when you maintain your joy in God, you are declaring:
    “My circumstances have not become my God.”
    The enemy wants you to stop praying.
    Stop worshipping.
    Stop believing.
    Stop expecting.
    But the child of God says:
    “I may be crying, but I will still trust Him. I may be waiting, but I will still praise Him. I may not understand, but I will not abandon my faith.”
    That is spiritual strength.

    BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: HABAKKUK'S JOY

    One of the most powerful examples of supernatural joy is found in Habakkuk 3:17–18.
    Habakkuk describes a situation where:
    The fig tree may not blossom.
    There may be no fruit.
    The fields may produce nothing.
    The flock may disappear.
    The cattle stalls may be empty.
    Everything appears to be going wrong.
    Yet Habakkuk declares:
    > “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
    Notice the word:
    YET.
    That little word represents tremendous faith.
    The situation says “No.”
    Faith says “Yet.”
    The economy says “No.”
    Faith says “Yet.”
    The diagnosis says “No.”
    Faith says “Yet.”
    The disappointment says “No.”
    Faith says “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
    His joy was not based on what was in the field.
    His joy was based on who was on the throne.

    PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS

    1. Start every day with thanksgiving
    Before checking your phone, remember God's goodness.
    2. Reduce unnecessary comparison
    Comparison is a thief of joy.
    Stop measuring your life against somebody else's chapter.
    3. Spend time in God's presence
    Pray. Worship. Read Scripture. Meditate on God's promises.
    4. Learn contentment
    Appreciate what God has given you while trusting Him for what you are still believing for.
    5. Watch what you speak
    Constant negative speech can strengthen discouragement.
    Speak faith.
    6. Help someone else
    Sometimes your joy returns when you become a blessing to someone who needs encouragement.
    7. Choose praise during difficult seasons
    Don't wait until everything is perfect before you worship God.

    DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS

    Joy is not the absence of problems; it is the presence of confidence in God.
    Joy is not pretending that pain does not exist; it is knowing that pain does not have the final word.
    Joy does not mean you never cry. It means your tears do not cancel your trust in God.
    Joy is not produced by possessions. It is produced by relationship with Christ.
    And remember this:
    You can lose things without losing your joy.
    Job lost possessions, children, and his position.
    Yet he said:
    Job 19:25
    > “For I know that my redeemer liveth…”
    Job's circumstances changed, but his confidence in God remained.

    QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

    1. What has been controlling my joy recently?
    2. Is my joy dependent on circumstances or rooted in Christ?
    3. Have I allowed disappointment to become greater than my faith?
    4. What blessings have I stopped noticing because of one problem?
    5. Am I practicing thanksgiving daily?
    6. Can I worship God even while waiting for my breakthrough?
    7. What would change if I truly believed that God is still in control?

    POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS

    1. Prayer for restored joy
    Father, restore every joy that has been stolen from my heart. Let the joy of Your salvation fill me again, in Jesus' name.
    2. Prayer against discouragement
    Every spirit of discouragement, hopelessness, and heaviness, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus' name.
    3. Prayer for contentment
    Lord, teach me to appreciate what You have given me while trusting You for what is ahead.
    4. Prayer for strength
    Father, let the joy of the Lord become my strength in every difficult season.
    5. Prayer for supernatural confidence
    Even when I cannot see the way forward, help me to trust You completely.
    6. Prayer of declaration
    I declare that my joy will not be controlled by circumstances. My joy is rooted in Christ. I will rejoice in the Lord, I will trust His Word, and I will remain faithful until my testimony comes, in Jesus' name. Amen.

    CALL TO ACTION

    Beloved, don't give your joy to circumstances.
    People can change.
    Money can disappear.
    Doors can close.
    Plans can fail.
    Friends can disappoint you.
    But Jesus remains faithful.
    So rejoice!
    Not because everything is perfect.
    Rejoice because God is still God.
    Rejoice because Christ is still Lord.
    Rejoice because His promises are still true.
    Rejoice because your story is not finished.
    And when the enemy asks, “Why are you still joyful?”
    Tell him:
    “Because my joy is not in what I have. My joy is in WHO I HAVE.”

    THE SECRET OF JOY IS JESUS.
    “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” — Philippians 4:4

    If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so 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

    CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540,

    Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com

    https://www.facebook.com/Umoh64?mibextid=ZbWKwL

    #UMOHEDEM
    TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS THE SECRET OF JOY. Discovering the Joy That Circumstances Cannot Steal. Key Text: Philippians 4:4 > “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on what happens around you. Joy depends on Who lives within you. You can have money and still have no peace. You can have people around you and still feel lonely. You can face difficulties and still have a song in your heart. The world says, “I will rejoice when everything becomes better.” But the believer says, “I will rejoice because God is still good, even when everything is not good.” Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always” while experiencing hardship. He was not writing from a palace; he knew suffering, rejection, imprisonment, and uncertainty. So what was his secret? His joy was not connected to his circumstances. His joy was connected to Christ. 1. JOY BEGINS WITH A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD Psalm 16:11 > “In thy presence is fulness of joy.” The deepest source of joy is not possessions, success, marriage, promotion, or recognition. The deepest source of joy is God's presence. When you know that God is with you, you can face situations that would otherwise break you. David said: Psalm 23:4 > “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” Notice that David did not say, “I will fear no evil because there is no valley.” He said, “Though I walk through the valley…” The valley may exist, but God's presence is greater than the valley. Spiritual Insight You lose joy when you make temporary things the foundation of your happiness. If your joy depends on money, money can take it. If it depends on people, people can disappoint you. If it depends on circumstances, circumstances can change. But when your joy is rooted in Christ, you can bend without breaking. 2. JOY COMES FROM KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL Romans 8:28 > “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…” This does not mean everything that happens is good. Some things are painful. Some things are unfair. Some things are disappointing. But God is powerful enough to take broken pieces and create something meaningful from them. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Yet eventually he stood in a position of authority. His testimony was: Genesis 50:20 > “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.” Joseph discovered a powerful secret: What people meant for evil, God could turn around for good. Therefore, don't allow today's chapter to make you reject the Author of your story. 3. JOY GROWS WHEN YOU LEARN CONTENTMENT Philippians 4:11–12 Paul said he had learned how to live with abundance and how to live with little. That word “learned” is important. Contentment is a spiritual discipline. You don't automatically become content because you are a Christian. You learn to trust God in every season. Paul could say: Philippians 4:13 > “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The context is not merely about achieving everything you want. Paul was saying: “Through Christ, I can remain faithful whether I have much or little.” Practical Lesson Stop postponing joy. Some people say: “When I get married, I will be happy.” “When I get money, I will rejoice.” “When I build my house, I will have peace.” “When my ministry grows, I will be satisfied.” But if you cannot rejoice while climbing the mountain, you may not rejoice when you reach the top. Learn to thank God for today's bread while trusting Him for tomorrow's provision. 4. JOY IS PROTECTED BY GRATITUDE AND PRAISE 1 Thessalonians 5:18 > “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Gratitude changes your perspective. Complaining says: “Look at what I don't have.” Thanksgiving says: “Look at what God has already done.” When you begin to count your blessings, you may discover that you have been surrounded by God's goodness while focusing on one problem. Biblical Example: Paul and Silas Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. Their backs were wounded. Their feet were fastened. Their future looked uncertain. But at midnight: > “Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God.” They did not wait for the prison door to open before they praised God. They praised God while the doors were still closed. And then something supernatural happened. Acts 16:26 > “And suddenly there was a great earthquake…” Their praise did not merely change their emotions. God used their worship in the middle of their crisis. 5. JOY IS A SPIRITUAL WEAPON Nehemiah 8:10 > “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Joy is not weakness. There are moments when the enemy wants to make you spiritually exhausted through fear, disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness. But when you maintain your joy in God, you are declaring: “My circumstances have not become my God.” The enemy wants you to stop praying. Stop worshipping. Stop believing. Stop expecting. But the child of God says: “I may be crying, but I will still trust Him. I may be waiting, but I will still praise Him. I may not understand, but I will not abandon my faith.” That is spiritual strength. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: HABAKKUK'S JOY One of the most powerful examples of supernatural joy is found in Habakkuk 3:17–18. Habakkuk describes a situation where: The fig tree may not blossom. There may be no fruit. The fields may produce nothing. The flock may disappear. The cattle stalls may be empty. Everything appears to be going wrong. Yet Habakkuk declares: > “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Notice the word: YET. That little word represents tremendous faith. The situation says “No.” Faith says “Yet.” The economy says “No.” Faith says “Yet.” The diagnosis says “No.” Faith says “Yet.” The disappointment says “No.” Faith says “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” His joy was not based on what was in the field. His joy was based on who was on the throne. PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. Start every day with thanksgiving Before checking your phone, remember God's goodness. 2. Reduce unnecessary comparison Comparison is a thief of joy. Stop measuring your life against somebody else's chapter. 3. Spend time in God's presence Pray. Worship. Read Scripture. Meditate on God's promises. 4. Learn contentment Appreciate what God has given you while trusting Him for what you are still believing for. 5. Watch what you speak Constant negative speech can strengthen discouragement. Speak faith. 6. Help someone else Sometimes your joy returns when you become a blessing to someone who needs encouragement. 7. Choose praise during difficult seasons Don't wait until everything is perfect before you worship God. DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS Joy is not the absence of problems; it is the presence of confidence in God. Joy is not pretending that pain does not exist; it is knowing that pain does not have the final word. Joy does not mean you never cry. It means your tears do not cancel your trust in God. Joy is not produced by possessions. It is produced by relationship with Christ. And remember this: You can lose things without losing your joy. Job lost possessions, children, and his position. Yet he said: Job 19:25 > “For I know that my redeemer liveth…” Job's circumstances changed, but his confidence in God remained. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. What has been controlling my joy recently? 2. Is my joy dependent on circumstances or rooted in Christ? 3. Have I allowed disappointment to become greater than my faith? 4. What blessings have I stopped noticing because of one problem? 5. Am I practicing thanksgiving daily? 6. Can I worship God even while waiting for my breakthrough? 7. What would change if I truly believed that God is still in control? POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Prayer for restored joy Father, restore every joy that has been stolen from my heart. Let the joy of Your salvation fill me again, in Jesus' name. 2. Prayer against discouragement Every spirit of discouragement, hopelessness, and heaviness, lose your hold over my life, in Jesus' name. 3. Prayer for contentment Lord, teach me to appreciate what You have given me while trusting You for what is ahead. 4. Prayer for strength Father, let the joy of the Lord become my strength in every difficult season. 5. Prayer for supernatural confidence Even when I cannot see the way forward, help me to trust You completely. 6. Prayer of declaration I declare that my joy will not be controlled by circumstances. My joy is rooted in Christ. I will rejoice in the Lord, I will trust His Word, and I will remain faithful until my testimony comes, in Jesus' name. Amen. CALL TO ACTION Beloved, don't give your joy to circumstances. People can change. Money can disappear. Doors can close. Plans can fail. Friends can disappoint you. But Jesus remains faithful. So rejoice! Not because everything is perfect. Rejoice because God is still God. Rejoice because Christ is still Lord. Rejoice because His promises are still true. Rejoice because your story is not finished. And when the enemy asks, “Why are you still joyful?” Tell him: “Because my joy is not in what I have. My joy is in WHO I HAVE.” THE SECRET OF JOY IS JESUS. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” — Philippians 4:4 If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so 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 CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540, Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/Umoh64?mibextid=ZbWKwL #UMOHEDEM
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  • The Mice in the Piano

    Pastor Joseph Clark
    August 12, 2026

    “He who denies the existence of God, has some reason for wishing that God did not exist.”

    —Saint Augustine

    “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”

    —Matthew 10:32–33

    The Mice in the Piano

    Once upon a time, there were two little mice. They were brothers, and they had lived their entire lives inside a piano. It was the only world they had ever known.

    Their parents and siblings had died of old age, leaving the two brothers as the last members of their family. They spent their days exploring their strange little world and listening in wonder to the beautiful music that constantly filled the piano.

    They could not see where the music came from.

    Their parents had taught them that the music was produced by a great and mysterious being who lived beyond their understanding—the one who played the piano.

    The two mice loved to think about this great player. They talked about him, wondered about him, and delighted in the beautiful music he produced.

    Then, one day, one of the mice went exploring.

    When he returned, he was thoughtful and unusually serious.

    “There is no great player,” he told his brother. “It is all a myth. I have seen the inside of this piano. The music is produced by wires, hammers, strings, and mechanisms. I have seen them with my own eyes!”

    The brothers abandoned their belief in the great player.

    They were convinced that they had finally discovered the truth. They understood the mechanisms of the piano, and therefore they believed they had explained away the musician.

    They examined the wires, hammers, strings, and mechanical workings repeatedly. The more they learned about how the piano worked, the more confident they became that there was no need to believe in a player.

    But they had overlooked something very important.

    Knowing how the piano works does not explain who is playing it.

    And so, while the two mice congratulated themselves on their newfound wisdom, the great player continued to play.

    The mice simply could not see him.

    The Limits of Human Understanding

    There is an important lesson in this little story.

    Human beings are intelligent. We have learned extraordinary things about the universe. We have explored the depths of the oceans, walked on the moon, examined the microscopic world, mapped the human genome, and discovered astonishing laws governing the physical universe.

    But our ability to understand something does not mean that we understand everything.

    The Bible repeatedly reminds us that humility is essential when approaching God.

    Jesus said:

    “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

    —Matthew 18:3

    He also said:

    “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

    —Matthew 19:14

    And again:

    “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

    —Luke 18:17

    Jesus is not telling us to abandon reason or become intellectually childish. Rather, He is calling us to humility, trust, and dependence upon God.

    Scripture says:

    “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

    —Matthew 18:4

    The Christian life begins with recognizing that God is God—and we are not.

    “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

    —Ephesians 2:8

    And:

    “The righteous shall live by faith.”

    —Romans 1:17

    Faith is not a rejection of reason. Faith recognizes that human reason has limits.

    Living in a Skeptical Age

    In 1897, Francis Pharcellus Church wrote his famous response to eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon concerning her question about Santa Claus. Church observed that people can become skeptical of anything they cannot see or fully comprehend.

    Although Church was writing about Santa Claus—not God—the broader observation is worth considering.

    We live in an age that often treats what can be measured as though it were the only thing that can be real.

    But there are many things we accept as real without seeing them directly.

    We cannot see gravity.

    We cannot see thoughts.

    We cannot see love.

    We cannot see electricity itself.

    Yet we observe their effects.

    Likewise, Christians believe that although God cannot be placed under a microscope or reduced to a laboratory experiment, His existence can be considered through the evidence of creation, reason, morality, human consciousness, history, and ultimately the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    The fact that we cannot see God with our physical eyes does not prove that God does not exist.

    The mice could not see the piano player either.

    That did not mean he wasn't there.

    When People Mock Our Faith

    A close friend of mine, an Archbishop, once told me a humorous story from his childhood.

    He had been at a park with his mother when he ran over excitedly and told her that the sun was actually a star and that the stars in the sky were also suns.

    His mother, apparently overwhelmed by the complexity of the information, responded with a blunt declaration that, in essence, the sun was the sun and the stars were the stars—and that was the end of the discussion!

    Sometimes we can become uncomfortable when someone challenges what we believe.

    That is particularly true when people we respect dismiss Christianity as foolishness.

    Richard Dawkins, Woody Allen, Isaac Asimov, Mark Twain, Carl Sagan, and many others have expressed skepticism toward Christianity or belief in God.

    But Christians should not respond with anger or hatred.

    We should respond with grace.

    Forgive them. Pray for them. Love them. And share the Gospel with them.

    The Apostle Peter instructed Christians:

    “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

    —1 Peter 3:15

    That is an important distinction.

    We are called to defend the faith, but we are not called to be quarrelsome.

    Jesus said:

    “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.”

    —Matthew 10:14

    And He warned:

    “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls before swine.”

    —Matthew 7:6

    There comes a time when we must recognize that arguing louder will not make someone believe.

    Our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim Christ.

    The Holy Spirit is responsible for changing hearts.

    What About Suffering?

    One of the most common objections to belief in God is the existence of suffering.

    People ask:

    “How can I believe in a loving God when there is so much suffering in the world?”

    This is a serious question, and Christians should never dismiss it with a shallow answer.

    The Bible itself contains people crying out to God in the midst of suffering. Job asked difficult questions. David cried out in the Psalms. Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.

    Christianity does not pretend that suffering is imaginary.

    Instead, Christianity tells us that suffering exists in a fallen world and that God entered that suffering Himself through Jesus Christ.

    The cross is Christianity's answer to the claim that God is indifferent to human suffering.

    God did not remain distant from our pain.

    He entered our world.

    He suffered.

    He died.

    And He rose again.

    The Apostle Paul writes:

    “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

    —Romans 8:18

    C.S. Lewis famously described pain as God's “megaphone” to a deaf world.

    Suffering does not prove that God does not exist. For many people, suffering instead becomes the very circumstance that drives them to ask the deepest questions about meaning, morality, mortality, and God.

    What About Hell?

    Another question frequently asked is:

    “How can a loving God send people to Hell?”

    The Christian answer begins with the extraordinary love of God.

    Jesus said:

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

    —John 3:16

    God offers salvation freely through Christ.

    The Gospel is not a message that God delights in condemning people. It is a message that God has provided a way of salvation.

    Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

    The seriousness of judgment is precisely what makes the offer of salvation so important.

    God does not force anyone to love Him.

    The Gospel calls us to repent, believe, and receive the grace of God.

    Faith and the Evidence of Creation

    The universe raises enormous questions.

    Why is there something rather than nothing?

    Why does the universe possess order?

    Why are the laws of nature intelligible?

    Why does human consciousness exist?

    Why do human beings possess an awareness of moral obligation?

    Science can investigate how many things work. But questions concerning ultimate meaning and purpose extend beyond the laboratory.

    The Christian does not believe that science is the enemy of faith.

    Quite the opposite.

    The universe is intelligible because Christians believe it was created by an intelligent God.

    The laws of nature can be investigated because Christians believe those laws reflect an ordered creation.

    The human capacity to reason can be used to explore the universe because Christians believe human beings were created by God.

    Science can tell us much about the mechanisms of the piano.

    But science alone cannot answer the question:

    Who is playing the music?

    Believers in the Scientific Community

    Christianity has never belonged exclusively to the uneducated or uninformed.

    Throughout history, many highly accomplished scientists have believed in God.

    Among them are figures such as:

    Isaac Newton, whose work transformed physics and mathematics.
    James Clerk Maxwell, one of the great figures in electromagnetic theory.
    Gregor Mendel, whose experiments established foundational principles of genetics and who was also an Augustinian friar.
    Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and physicist whose work on an expanding universe helped establish the foundation of what became known as Big Bang cosmology.
    Francis Collins, physician-geneticist and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, who has publicly identified as a Christian.
    Charles Townes, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and inventor of the maser and co-inventor of the laser, who was an openly religious Christian.

    These examples do not prove Christianity simply because these scientists believed.

    But they do demonstrate something important:

    Faith in God is not incompatible with intellectual achievement.

    A person does not have to abandon intelligence in order to believe in God.

    Nor does becoming a Christian require someone to stop asking questions.

    Christians should welcome honest questions.

    The Problem With the Piano Mice

    The two mice made a fundamental mistake.

    They confused an explanation of the mechanism with an explanation of the ultimate cause.

    They discovered the wires.

    They discovered the hammers.

    They discovered the strings.

    They discovered the machinery.

    And then they concluded:

    “Therefore, there is no piano player.”

    But that conclusion did not logically follow from their discovery.

    In fact, their discovery of the piano's complexity could have led them to ask an entirely different question:

    Who designed this?

    And that is the question we must ultimately ask about our universe.

    Where did everything come from?

    Why is there something rather than nothing?

    Why does the universe operate according to discoverable laws?

    Why does consciousness exist?

    Why do we have an innate sense that some things are genuinely right and others genuinely wrong?

    And perhaps the greatest question of all:

    Who are we, and why are we here?

    The Christian answer is that we are creatures made by our Creator.

    We are not accidents without purpose.

    We were created by God, for God, and ultimately for relationship with Him.

    We Are the Mice

    There is another lesson in the story that we must not miss.

    Perhaps the greatest danger is not being ignorant.

    Perhaps it is believing that we know everything.

    We are the mice in the piano.

    We live inside a universe vastly larger and more complicated than our minds can fully comprehend.

    We see only a fraction of reality.

    We understand only a fraction of what exists.

    And yet we sometimes look at the small portion we understand and confidently declare that nothing exists beyond it.

    The Bible reminds us:

    “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.”

    —Isaiah 55:8

    And:

    “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!”

    —Romans 11:33

    The proper response to a God who is greater than our understanding is not arrogance.

    It is humility.

    It is worship.

    It is faith.

    The Music Continues

    The two mice eventually stopped believing in the piano player.

    They became convinced that they had explained everything.

    But outside their tiny world, the musician continued to play.

    The music never stopped.

    The fact that they could not see him did not mean he was absent.

    And perhaps that is where many people find themselves today.

    They have examined the mechanisms of the universe.

    They have learned about physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy.

    They have become fascinated by the machinery.

    But they have never stopped to ask whether there is a Creator behind it all.

    The Christian message is that there is.

    His name is Jesus Christ.

    He is not merely an idea, a philosophy, or a comforting story.

    He is the Son of God who entered human history, died for our sins, and rose from the grave.

    And He calls every one of us to respond.

    Jesus said:

    “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.”

    —Matthew 10:32

    The question is not merely whether we believe that God exists.

    The deeper question is:

    What will we do with Jesus Christ?

    The piano is playing.

    The music is all around us.

    The question is whether we will remain convinced that there is nothing beyond the wires and hammers—or whether we will humble ourselves, listen carefully, and seek the One who is playing the music.

    Do not be so certain that you have explained the piano that you never look for the Player.

    —Pastor Joseph Clark
    The Mice in the Piano Pastor Joseph Clark August 12, 2026 “He who denies the existence of God, has some reason for wishing that God did not exist.” —Saint Augustine “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before others, I will disown before My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 10:32–33 The Mice in the Piano Once upon a time, there were two little mice. They were brothers, and they had lived their entire lives inside a piano. It was the only world they had ever known. Their parents and siblings had died of old age, leaving the two brothers as the last members of their family. They spent their days exploring their strange little world and listening in wonder to the beautiful music that constantly filled the piano. They could not see where the music came from. Their parents had taught them that the music was produced by a great and mysterious being who lived beyond their understanding—the one who played the piano. The two mice loved to think about this great player. They talked about him, wondered about him, and delighted in the beautiful music he produced. Then, one day, one of the mice went exploring. When he returned, he was thoughtful and unusually serious. “There is no great player,” he told his brother. “It is all a myth. I have seen the inside of this piano. The music is produced by wires, hammers, strings, and mechanisms. I have seen them with my own eyes!” The brothers abandoned their belief in the great player. They were convinced that they had finally discovered the truth. They understood the mechanisms of the piano, and therefore they believed they had explained away the musician. They examined the wires, hammers, strings, and mechanical workings repeatedly. The more they learned about how the piano worked, the more confident they became that there was no need to believe in a player. But they had overlooked something very important. Knowing how the piano works does not explain who is playing it. And so, while the two mice congratulated themselves on their newfound wisdom, the great player continued to play. The mice simply could not see him. The Limits of Human Understanding There is an important lesson in this little story. Human beings are intelligent. We have learned extraordinary things about the universe. We have explored the depths of the oceans, walked on the moon, examined the microscopic world, mapped the human genome, and discovered astonishing laws governing the physical universe. But our ability to understand something does not mean that we understand everything. The Bible repeatedly reminds us that humility is essential when approaching God. Jesus said: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 18:3 He also said: “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 19:14 And again: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” —Luke 18:17 Jesus is not telling us to abandon reason or become intellectually childish. Rather, He is calling us to humility, trust, and dependence upon God. Scripture says: “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” —Matthew 18:4 The Christian life begins with recognizing that God is God—and we are not. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” —Ephesians 2:8 And: “The righteous shall live by faith.” —Romans 1:17 Faith is not a rejection of reason. Faith recognizes that human reason has limits. Living in a Skeptical Age In 1897, Francis Pharcellus Church wrote his famous response to eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon concerning her question about Santa Claus. Church observed that people can become skeptical of anything they cannot see or fully comprehend. Although Church was writing about Santa Claus—not God—the broader observation is worth considering. We live in an age that often treats what can be measured as though it were the only thing that can be real. But there are many things we accept as real without seeing them directly. We cannot see gravity. We cannot see thoughts. We cannot see love. We cannot see electricity itself. Yet we observe their effects. Likewise, Christians believe that although God cannot be placed under a microscope or reduced to a laboratory experiment, His existence can be considered through the evidence of creation, reason, morality, human consciousness, history, and ultimately the revelation of Jesus Christ. The fact that we cannot see God with our physical eyes does not prove that God does not exist. The mice could not see the piano player either. That did not mean he wasn't there. When People Mock Our Faith A close friend of mine, an Archbishop, once told me a humorous story from his childhood. He had been at a park with his mother when he ran over excitedly and told her that the sun was actually a star and that the stars in the sky were also suns. His mother, apparently overwhelmed by the complexity of the information, responded with a blunt declaration that, in essence, the sun was the sun and the stars were the stars—and that was the end of the discussion! Sometimes we can become uncomfortable when someone challenges what we believe. That is particularly true when people we respect dismiss Christianity as foolishness. Richard Dawkins, Woody Allen, Isaac Asimov, Mark Twain, Carl Sagan, and many others have expressed skepticism toward Christianity or belief in God. But Christians should not respond with anger or hatred. We should respond with grace. Forgive them. Pray for them. Love them. And share the Gospel with them. The Apostle Peter instructed Christians: “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15 That is an important distinction. We are called to defend the faith, but we are not called to be quarrelsome. Jesus said: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” —Matthew 10:14 And He warned: “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls before swine.” —Matthew 7:6 There comes a time when we must recognize that arguing louder will not make someone believe. Our responsibility is to faithfully proclaim Christ. The Holy Spirit is responsible for changing hearts. What About Suffering? One of the most common objections to belief in God is the existence of suffering. People ask: “How can I believe in a loving God when there is so much suffering in the world?” This is a serious question, and Christians should never dismiss it with a shallow answer. The Bible itself contains people crying out to God in the midst of suffering. Job asked difficult questions. David cried out in the Psalms. Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Christianity does not pretend that suffering is imaginary. Instead, Christianity tells us that suffering exists in a fallen world and that God entered that suffering Himself through Jesus Christ. The cross is Christianity's answer to the claim that God is indifferent to human suffering. God did not remain distant from our pain. He entered our world. He suffered. He died. And He rose again. The Apostle Paul writes: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” —Romans 8:18 C.S. Lewis famously described pain as God's “megaphone” to a deaf world. Suffering does not prove that God does not exist. For many people, suffering instead becomes the very circumstance that drives them to ask the deepest questions about meaning, morality, mortality, and God. What About Hell? Another question frequently asked is: “How can a loving God send people to Hell?” The Christian answer begins with the extraordinary love of God. Jesus said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16 God offers salvation freely through Christ. The Gospel is not a message that God delights in condemning people. It is a message that God has provided a way of salvation. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The seriousness of judgment is precisely what makes the offer of salvation so important. God does not force anyone to love Him. The Gospel calls us to repent, believe, and receive the grace of God. Faith and the Evidence of Creation The universe raises enormous questions. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe possess order? Why are the laws of nature intelligible? Why does human consciousness exist? Why do human beings possess an awareness of moral obligation? Science can investigate how many things work. But questions concerning ultimate meaning and purpose extend beyond the laboratory. The Christian does not believe that science is the enemy of faith. Quite the opposite. The universe is intelligible because Christians believe it was created by an intelligent God. The laws of nature can be investigated because Christians believe those laws reflect an ordered creation. The human capacity to reason can be used to explore the universe because Christians believe human beings were created by God. Science can tell us much about the mechanisms of the piano. But science alone cannot answer the question: Who is playing the music? Believers in the Scientific Community Christianity has never belonged exclusively to the uneducated or uninformed. Throughout history, many highly accomplished scientists have believed in God. Among them are figures such as: Isaac Newton, whose work transformed physics and mathematics. James Clerk Maxwell, one of the great figures in electromagnetic theory. Gregor Mendel, whose experiments established foundational principles of genetics and who was also an Augustinian friar. Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and physicist whose work on an expanding universe helped establish the foundation of what became known as Big Bang cosmology. Francis Collins, physician-geneticist and former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, who has publicly identified as a Christian. Charles Townes, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and inventor of the maser and co-inventor of the laser, who was an openly religious Christian. These examples do not prove Christianity simply because these scientists believed. But they do demonstrate something important: Faith in God is not incompatible with intellectual achievement. A person does not have to abandon intelligence in order to believe in God. Nor does becoming a Christian require someone to stop asking questions. Christians should welcome honest questions. The Problem With the Piano Mice The two mice made a fundamental mistake. They confused an explanation of the mechanism with an explanation of the ultimate cause. They discovered the wires. They discovered the hammers. They discovered the strings. They discovered the machinery. And then they concluded: “Therefore, there is no piano player.” But that conclusion did not logically follow from their discovery. In fact, their discovery of the piano's complexity could have led them to ask an entirely different question: Who designed this? And that is the question we must ultimately ask about our universe. Where did everything come from? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe operate according to discoverable laws? Why does consciousness exist? Why do we have an innate sense that some things are genuinely right and others genuinely wrong? And perhaps the greatest question of all: Who are we, and why are we here? The Christian answer is that we are creatures made by our Creator. We are not accidents without purpose. We were created by God, for God, and ultimately for relationship with Him. We Are the Mice There is another lesson in the story that we must not miss. Perhaps the greatest danger is not being ignorant. Perhaps it is believing that we know everything. We are the mice in the piano. We live inside a universe vastly larger and more complicated than our minds can fully comprehend. We see only a fraction of reality. We understand only a fraction of what exists. And yet we sometimes look at the small portion we understand and confidently declare that nothing exists beyond it. The Bible reminds us: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.” —Isaiah 55:8 And: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” —Romans 11:33 The proper response to a God who is greater than our understanding is not arrogance. It is humility. It is worship. It is faith. The Music Continues The two mice eventually stopped believing in the piano player. They became convinced that they had explained everything. But outside their tiny world, the musician continued to play. The music never stopped. The fact that they could not see him did not mean he was absent. And perhaps that is where many people find themselves today. They have examined the mechanisms of the universe. They have learned about physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy. They have become fascinated by the machinery. But they have never stopped to ask whether there is a Creator behind it all. The Christian message is that there is. His name is Jesus Christ. He is not merely an idea, a philosophy, or a comforting story. He is the Son of God who entered human history, died for our sins, and rose from the grave. And He calls every one of us to respond. Jesus said: “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 10:32 The question is not merely whether we believe that God exists. The deeper question is: What will we do with Jesus Christ? The piano is playing. The music is all around us. The question is whether we will remain convinced that there is nothing beyond the wires and hammers—or whether we will humble ourselves, listen carefully, and seek the One who is playing the music. Do not be so certain that you have explained the piano that you never look for the Player. —Pastor Joseph Clark
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  • Good morning, brethren.
    1. Morning devotion for today.

    MD.i. MORNING TEA
    THE WORD FOR TODAY
    WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12, 2O26.
    "WORKING IN THE KINGDOM (3)"

    ‘The father [or mother] of a righteous man has great joy...’ Proverbs 23:24 NIV.

    THE HARDEST work is sometimes the most overlooked work. A husband came home from work one day and the house was an absolute mess. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, washing up filled the sink, the kids were crying, the beds were unmade, the bathroom smelled badly and the TV set was blaring. When he asked his wife what was going on, she replied, ‘You know how you ask me every night what I did all day? Well, today I didn’t do it.’ If you’re a stay-at-home mum or dad, God considers your work to be important. It’s more important to the future than just about any other profession—because you’re determining the quality of the next generation. Martin Luther said, ‘What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord.’ One day God will say, ‘Well done,’ to parents who cared for children—bathing them, feeding them, cleaning up after them—when they were tired and thought nobody was looking. Somebody is looking. Somebody is keeping track. It is worth it! You are the one who makes your work significant—not the other way round. When you discover the gifts God has given you and the passions He has placed within you, and put them to work in the service of values you deeply believe in—you are ‘working for God’ in the truest sense. So each day ask God to make your work go well. And try to identify the larger picture in your work that makes it a ‘calling.’

    Bible In A Year: Judg 7:1 – 9:33, Matt 16:13-28, Ps 119:65-72, Pro 17:23-26. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation

    *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*.

    MD.ii. [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA*

    WEDNESDAY, 12TH AUGUST, 2026.

    *HEAVEN: THE PERMANENT RESIDENCE OF THE BELIEVERS*

    *TEXT:* JOHN 14:1-6.

    1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
    2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
    3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
    4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
    5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
    6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

    *Timeless Truth:*_"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city"_ (Hebrews 11:16).

    *INTRODUCTION*

    Jim Reeves, in one of his classics, composed an all time beautiful and inspired song about heaven. "I have heard of a land;
    On a faraway strand
    'Tis a beautiful home of the soul;
    Built by Jesus on high
    There we never shall die
    'Tis the land where we never grow old.
    When our work here is done;
    And the life crown is won;
    And our troubles and trials are o'er;
    All our sorrow will end
    And our voices will blend
    With the loved ones who've gone on before".
    The children of Israel ate manna in the wilderness and not one of them fell sick for 40 years and neither did their cloth fade according to the Scriptures. The food of heaven and the environment of heaven will be such that the inhabitants will never grow old, but remain young, healthy and fresh throughout eternity. Every attempt by any mortal to describe heaven is like a blind man describing the colour of a beautiful house. It is easier to think and plan for what you see than what you don't see no matter how real. Hence, there is need for constant reminder, refocusing and reconsecration to make heaven, less our vision of the invisible and eternal things give way to the vision of visible temporary things. *"For truly, if they (the heroes of faith) had been mindful of that country (the world) from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned"* (Hebrews 11:15).

    *1. The Admonition on Faith*

    a. Man is consciously or unconsciously a slave to what he believes whether true or false. The person who does good or evil believes that it will pay him. The person who serves God or does otherwise believes that is the best thing to do, all things being equal. The only person who could experientially and authoritatively speak about heaven is the person who lived there for an innumerable number of years and had visited the earth. Jesus Christ challenged the faith of His disciples to fully and truly believe, not only in the reality of heaven, but what heaven offers. The thought of Jesus Christ leaving them for heaven was disturbing and troublesome. However, the thought of heaven is comforting above all troubles on earth. *"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me"*.
    b. Jesus Christ said He came from heaven. Moses claimed He saw God come from heaven on the mount of Sinai. At the mount of transfiguration, three apostles said they saw the glory of heaven on Jesus, Elijah and Moses. John the Apostle emphatically said *"I John saw heaven open"*. Revelation also said that as God alone created the universe without any assistance from the angels, God Himself created heaven. *"Whose Builder and the Maker is God"*. When there is faith in God and consequently in heaven, all earthly glory and sorrows fade into insignificance.

    *Question*

    Is heaven and its glory real to you? Are you focused on making it by all means?

    *2. The Assurance for the Faithful*

    There is a Revelation about heaven that no other prophet could give except an eye witness. There is an abundance of accommodation for all the saints of God. *"In my Father's house are many mansions"*. Jesus invoked His undeniable truthfulness and integrity to give us a solid assurance. *"If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you"*. Jesus is saying that there is no need to deceive His disciples. Part of the present preoccupation of Christ is building a beautiful and eternally durable unimproveable mansion for each of God's people.
    The cosmos is roughly 7 x10 to power 23 times larger than our planet, rendering Earth an invisible speck in the vast cosmic ocean. This is different from the part of the cosmos that humans'
    lenses cannot observe so far. John said *"there was no more seas"*. So the space for building mansions is inexhaustible by all the saints that ever lived.
    b. Every saint should therefore, be assured that there is an unfading and most beautiful accommodation ever, designed and built by God awaiting him for eternal dwelling. Which one is more real to you? Dream or what you see in the physical. As what you see on earth is more real than what is dreamt, much more, the life of heaven is incomparably more real than what is experienced on the planet earth. Everything in heaven is perfect that no man on earth and creature in heaven would be able to improve on it.

    *Question*

    Are you excited about heaven?

    *3. The Advent of the Forerunner*

    a. Jesus came from heaven and He is the firstborn from among the dead. He is the first to die, buried, resurrected and gone to heaven with a resurrected body. He also promised to come back to the earth with His resurrected glorified body. *"And if I go and prepare a place for you"*. Did He truly go as promised? Since He fulfilled the promise to go to heaven He will no doubt fulfill other promises attached. *"I will come again"*. He did not say He "may come again". He was very
    definite and certain. When He comes again for the Church, represented by the disciples He was speaking to, what will He do? *"And receive you unto myself"*. He did not say he would come and take them, but rather come and receive them. This is Rapture being referred to in which Jesus in the sky will receive the saints to heaven as a host comes out of his chamber to receive His special guest or visitors to his house. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). *"That where I am, there ye may be also"*.

    *Question*

    Are you always watchful to make sure you are ever ready?

    *4. The Answer to the Forgetful*

    You will be surprised at the kind of question the once doubting Thomas was asking. *"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"*. He was there when Nicodemus was lectured by Christ on how to get to heaven. He was there when Jesus preached the longest sermon on the Mount as to the qualification for heaven. He was there when Jesus said *"No man has seen God at all times"*. Preachers should not assume that their followers fully understand the spiritual things they are teaching. Spiritual truth must be repeatedly read and taught over and over until it turns to conviction. Jesus is the only true way to heaven.

    *Question*

    What makes someone qualified for heaven?

    *Prayer Points*

    1.Lord, I praise You for the best alternative to this earth You have provided for me. Help me never to miss it .
    2.Refocus my desire and affection on heaven and heavenly things afresh and help me that it will be my primary pursuit and vision .
    3.Keep me from being deceived and distracted from heavenly things by the glamour of this world .
    4.Search out Your people and remove all things in our lives that will make entering heaven impossible .

    *HYMN:* Where We Never Get Old.

    *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* JOB 13-15.
    [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS)

    WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026```


    *HEAVEN: PREPARED FOR THE PREPARED* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🏽🏽‍🏽🏽

    ```TEXT:JOHN 14:1-6```

    ```KEY VERSE:``` _*"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (JOHN 14:2).*_

    *D. L. Moody, the famous evangelist, once said before his death, "Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment, I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body." Moody understood the truth that heaven is not a vague idea but a real, prepared place for those who belong to Christ. He had no fear of death because he knew that Jesus had already secured for him an eternal home.*

    *In today's text, Jesus gives the same assurance to His disciples: He has gone ahead to prepare a place for them, and He will return to take them there. He speaks words of comfort to His troubled disciples. He tells them not to be afraid because His Father's house is big enough to accommodate all those who are qualified, and that He is going to prepare the place for them. More than that, He promises to return and bring them to be with Him forever. When Thomas questions the way to this place, Jesus makes a life-changing declaration: "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).*

    *Heaven is not an accidental destination. It is a prepared place for prepared people. Jesus makes it clear that He is the only Way to this eternal home. Today, many believe that all roads lead to heaven, but Christ's words leave no room for confusion. Only those who accept Him and live for Him will enter the place He has prepared.*

    *This truth should give us confidence and peace as believers in Christ's return. Just as a traveller finds joy knowing a home awaits at the end of his journey, we too should endure life's trials knowing that heaven is real and waiting for us. However, this is also a call for readiness, as only those who are prepared in Christ will enter there. Heaven is not for the undecided or the uncommitted; it is for those who know and follow Christ. It is for those who have let go of the world, let in Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour and live for Him consistently.*

    ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*If your aim is heaven, look beyond this world.*_

    ```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOB 13-15*


    Heaven: Prepared For The Prepared
    https://dailymanna.app//
    *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 137: HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE; GHS 138: WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN; GHS 139: BEAUTIFUL HOME!; AND GHS 20: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE*
    *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter*
    *#DailyManna12thAugust2026*
    *#GCK*
    *#WorshipNuggets*
    *#BibleNuggets*
    *#LeadershipNuggets*
    *#RevivalNuggets*
    *#CrusadeNuggets*
    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]
    [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY```

    _*HIGHER EVERYDY: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_

    ✍🏽🏻‍ 🏽🛰

    ```WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026```

    *THE PRAYER OF FAITH* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🏽🏽‍🏽🏽

    ```TEXT:JAMES 5:13-18```

    ``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (JAMES 5:15).*_

    *Faith is the conduit between man and God. It is important in the life of a praying believer as the scripture confirms that without it, it is impossible to please God.*

    *"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase," submitted Martin Luther King Jr. A prayer of faith means a prayer you offer believing in His promises firmly, even when you have not seen the physical manifestation of the promise yet.*

    *The centurion, a soldier, had a sick servant and met Jesus for the healing of the man. This man had faith in the prayer of our Lord to a point that he told Him not to bother following him to his house to pray for the sick.*

    *He believed when Jesus prays anywhere at any time, the sick will be healed, and distance is never a barrier to His miracles. His servant was healed according to his great faith.*

    *You may be going through some challenges now, but your prayer of faith can turn the situation around for you and move your mountain away.*

    ```QUOTE:``` _*Distance is never a barrier.*_

    ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Your prayer of faith can move mountains.*_

    🏽🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, increase my faith.*_


    The Prayer Of Faith
    https://dailymanna.app//

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    *#HigherEveryday12thAugust2026*
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    *#CrusadeNuggets*
    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]
    [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY```

    _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣)*_

    🏼🏼🏼🏼🏼‍

    ```WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026```

    *AVOID THE DANGER AHEAD!* 🫵🏽🏽‍🏽‍🫷🏽🏽🏽‍🏽

    ```1 KINGS 11:9-14```



    ```Key Verse:``` _*"And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice" (1 Kings 11:9).*_



    It is not all things that glitters that is gold. God is loving, He has great plans for His children. However, no parent toils on a child who decides to disobey instructions. Solomon was a beloved child of God. He found favour with God because David his father obeyed God. Your Christian parents, pastors, teachers and elders are sent to correct you. Don't despise their correction.

    Though God is merciful, yet the salvation of your parents doesn't guarantee your protection from the wiles of the devil. Solomon allowed his great wisdom to control him. He forgot God and embraced popularity and riches. God was angry with him and punished him severely. God is not a respecter of persons. He punishes every sinner or backslider.

    *Avoid the danger ahead! Sin leads to heavy consequences. Such consequences could come in the form of sickness, failure in examination, oppression or death (physical and eternal). Return to God your Maker, He loves you. Don't allow your worldly wisdom, pride or riches of your parents to take you to hell. Let the blood of Jesus wash you now.*



    ```rayer:``` _*Dear God, give me the grace to humble myself under Your mighty hand.*_ 🏽

    ``` Further Reading:``` *Proverbs 1:7-14*



    Avoid The Danger Ahead!
    https://dailymanna.app//

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    https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]

    2. Morning Prayer for today.

    MP.i. Morning Prayer

    [It is of] the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. ⏤ Lamentations 3:22-23

    The Christian life is one of gratitude. A heart that is constantly overflowing with thankfulness is a heart close to God. ⏤ A.W. Tozer

    O God, giver of all good and fountain of all mercy, we thank You for Your grace and the many ways You show Your care for us. Your faithfulness never fails. Your mercies are new every morning, fresh every moment, more than we can count. What can we give You in return for all Your goodness to us? We have nothing to offer but the poor love of our hearts, and we give that to You. Grant us more and more the spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Teach us to sing even when tears choke our songs. Give us songs in the night. Teach us how to rejoice, even in care and sorrow.

    We thank You for our home and all it means to us. You have filled our lives with countless blessings through the love that unites us as a family. Our home is a little bit of Your love poured into our hearts. We thank You for the shelter our home provides and for the gentle affections that bind us together. May our home grow sweeter as the days pass. Make our home life more loving, patient, and kind. May our love be less selfish and more like the love of Jesus.

    We ask for special blessings for this day. We will face dangers we are unaware of; protect us from them. We are vulnerable to accidents wherever we go; defend us from them. Grant us the grace to walk through the moral challenges around us without being harmed by them. Give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all Your ways. Lead us wherever we go so that we may not stumble. Make us strong for holy service. Let Your protection be over us all day, and give us strength for every duty. We ask all this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.

    https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/38/morning

    #taptapstudio
    #youdevotion.
    Good morning, brethren. 1. Morning devotion for today. MD.i. 😀🌹🎀🎁💝🌺MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12, 2O26. "WORKING IN THE KINGDOM (3)" ‘The father [or mother] of a righteous man has great joy...’ Proverbs 23:24 NIV. THE HARDEST work is sometimes the most overlooked work. A husband came home from work one day and the house was an absolute mess. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, washing up filled the sink, the kids were crying, the beds were unmade, the bathroom smelled badly and the TV set was blaring. When he asked his wife what was going on, she replied, ‘You know how you ask me every night what I did all day? Well, today I didn’t do it.’ If you’re a stay-at-home mum or dad, God considers your work to be important. It’s more important to the future than just about any other profession—because you’re determining the quality of the next generation. Martin Luther said, ‘What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord.’ One day God will say, ‘Well done,’ to parents who cared for children—bathing them, feeding them, cleaning up after them—when they were tired and thought nobody was looking. Somebody is looking. Somebody is keeping track. It is worth it! You are the one who makes your work significant—not the other way round. When you discover the gifts God has given you and the passions He has placed within you, and put them to work in the service of values you deeply believe in—you are ‘working for God’ in the truest sense. So each day ask God to make your work go well. And try to identify the larger picture in your work that makes it a ‘calling.’ Bible In A Year: Judg 7:1 – 9:33, Matt 16:13-28, Ps 119:65-72, Pro 17:23-26. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation 💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌹🌷🎀💝. MD.ii. [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA* WEDNESDAY, 12TH AUGUST, 2026. *HEAVEN: THE PERMANENT RESIDENCE OF THE BELIEVERS* *TEXT:* JOHN 14:1-6. 1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me *Timeless Truth:*_"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city"_ (Hebrews 11:16). *INTRODUCTION* Jim Reeves, in one of his classics, composed an all time beautiful and inspired song about heaven. "I have heard of a land; On a faraway strand 'Tis a beautiful home of the soul; Built by Jesus on high There we never shall die 'Tis the land where we never grow old. When our work here is done; And the life crown is won; And our troubles and trials are o'er; All our sorrow will end And our voices will blend With the loved ones who've gone on before". The children of Israel ate manna in the wilderness and not one of them fell sick for 40 years and neither did their cloth fade according to the Scriptures. The food of heaven and the environment of heaven will be such that the inhabitants will never grow old, but remain young, healthy and fresh throughout eternity. Every attempt by any mortal to describe heaven is like a blind man describing the colour of a beautiful house. It is easier to think and plan for what you see than what you don't see no matter how real. Hence, there is need for constant reminder, refocusing and reconsecration to make heaven, less our vision of the invisible and eternal things give way to the vision of visible temporary things. *"For truly, if they (the heroes of faith) had been mindful of that country (the world) from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned"* (Hebrews 11:15). *1. The Admonition on Faith* a. Man is consciously or unconsciously a slave to what he believes whether true or false. The person who does good or evil believes that it will pay him. The person who serves God or does otherwise believes that is the best thing to do, all things being equal. The only person who could experientially and authoritatively speak about heaven is the person who lived there for an innumerable number of years and had visited the earth. Jesus Christ challenged the faith of His disciples to fully and truly believe, not only in the reality of heaven, but what heaven offers. The thought of Jesus Christ leaving them for heaven was disturbing and troublesome. However, the thought of heaven is comforting above all troubles on earth. *"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me"*. b. Jesus Christ said He came from heaven. Moses claimed He saw God come from heaven on the mount of Sinai. At the mount of transfiguration, three apostles said they saw the glory of heaven on Jesus, Elijah and Moses. John the Apostle emphatically said *"I John saw heaven open"*. Revelation also said that as God alone created the universe without any assistance from the angels, God Himself created heaven. *"Whose Builder and the Maker is God"*. When there is faith in God and consequently in heaven, all earthly glory and sorrows fade into insignificance. *Question* Is heaven and its glory real to you? Are you focused on making it by all means? *2. The Assurance for the Faithful* There is a Revelation about heaven that no other prophet could give except an eye witness. There is an abundance of accommodation for all the saints of God. *"In my Father's house are many mansions"*. Jesus invoked His undeniable truthfulness and integrity to give us a solid assurance. *"If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you"*. Jesus is saying that there is no need to deceive His disciples. Part of the present preoccupation of Christ is building a beautiful and eternally durable unimproveable mansion for each of God's people. The cosmos is roughly 7 x10 to power 23 times larger than our planet, rendering Earth an invisible speck in the vast cosmic ocean. This is different from the part of the cosmos that humans' lenses cannot observe so far. John said *"there was no more seas"*. So the space for building mansions is inexhaustible by all the saints that ever lived. b. Every saint should therefore, be assured that there is an unfading and most beautiful accommodation ever, designed and built by God awaiting him for eternal dwelling. Which one is more real to you? Dream or what you see in the physical. As what you see on earth is more real than what is dreamt, much more, the life of heaven is incomparably more real than what is experienced on the planet earth. Everything in heaven is perfect that no man on earth and creature in heaven would be able to improve on it. *Question* Are you excited about heaven? *3. The Advent of the Forerunner* a. Jesus came from heaven and He is the firstborn from among the dead. He is the first to die, buried, resurrected and gone to heaven with a resurrected body. He also promised to come back to the earth with His resurrected glorified body. *"And if I go and prepare a place for you"*. Did He truly go as promised? Since He fulfilled the promise to go to heaven He will no doubt fulfill other promises attached. *"I will come again"*. He did not say He "may come again". He was very definite and certain. When He comes again for the Church, represented by the disciples He was speaking to, what will He do? *"And receive you unto myself"*. He did not say he would come and take them, but rather come and receive them. This is Rapture being referred to in which Jesus in the sky will receive the saints to heaven as a host comes out of his chamber to receive His special guest or visitors to his house. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). *"That where I am, there ye may be also"*. *Question* Are you always watchful to make sure you are ever ready? *4. The Answer to the Forgetful* You will be surprised at the kind of question the once doubting Thomas was asking. *"Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?"*. He was there when Nicodemus was lectured by Christ on how to get to heaven. He was there when Jesus preached the longest sermon on the Mount as to the qualification for heaven. He was there when Jesus said *"No man has seen God at all times"*. Preachers should not assume that their followers fully understand the spiritual things they are teaching. Spiritual truth must be repeatedly read and taught over and over until it turns to conviction. Jesus is the only true way to heaven. *Question* What makes someone qualified for heaven? *Prayer Points* 1.Lord, I praise You for the best alternative to this earth You have provided for me. Help me never to miss it 🙏. 2.Refocus my desire and affection on heaven and heavenly things afresh and help me that it will be my primary pursuit and vision 🙏. 3.Keep me from being deceived and distracted from heavenly things by the glamour of this world 🙏. 4.Search out Your people and remove all things in our lives that will make entering heaven impossible 🙏. *HYMN:* Where We Never Get Old. *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* JOB 13-15. [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026``` *HEAVEN: PREPARED FOR THE PREPARED* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽🙌🏽 📜📜```TEXT:JOHN 14:1-6```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (JOHN 14:2).*_ *D. L. Moody, the famous evangelist, once said before his death, "Someday you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment, I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal, a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body." Moody understood the truth that heaven is not a vague idea but a real, prepared place for those who belong to Christ. He had no fear of death because he knew that Jesus had already secured for him an eternal home.* *In today's text, Jesus gives the same assurance to His disciples: He has gone ahead to prepare a place for them, and He will return to take them there. He speaks words of comfort to His troubled disciples. He tells them not to be afraid because His Father's house is big enough to accommodate all those who are qualified, and that He is going to prepare the place for them. More than that, He promises to return and bring them to be with Him forever. When Thomas questions the way to this place, Jesus makes a life-changing declaration: "...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).* *Heaven is not an accidental destination. It is a prepared place for prepared people. Jesus makes it clear that He is the only Way to this eternal home. Today, many believe that all roads lead to heaven, but Christ's words leave no room for confusion. Only those who accept Him and live for Him will enter the place He has prepared.* *This truth should give us confidence and peace as believers in Christ's return. Just as a traveller finds joy knowing a home awaits at the end of his journey, we too should endure life's trials knowing that heaven is real and waiting for us. However, this is also a call for readiness, as only those who are prepared in Christ will enter there. Heaven is not for the undecided or the uncommitted; it is for those who know and follow Christ. It is for those who have let go of the world, let in Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour and live for Him consistently.* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*If your aim is heaven, look beyond this world.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *JOB 13-15*📜📜 Heaven: Prepared For The Prepared https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 137: HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE; GHS 138: WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN; GHS 139: BEAUTIFUL HOME!; AND GHS 20: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE* *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#DailyManna12thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026``` *THE PRAYER OF FAITH* 🎚️📓📖🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🗣️🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽🙌🏽 📜📜```TEXT:JAMES 5:13-18```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (JAMES 5:15).*_ *Faith is the conduit between man and God. It is important in the life of a praying believer as the scripture confirms that without it, it is impossible to please God.* *"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase," submitted Martin Luther King Jr. A prayer of faith means a prayer you offer believing in His promises firmly, even when you have not seen the physical manifestation of the promise yet.* *The centurion, a soldier, had a sick servant and met Jesus for the healing of the man. This man had faith in the prayer of our Lord to a point that he told Him not to bother following him to his house to pray for the sick.* *He believed when Jesus prays anywhere at any time, the sick will be healed, and distance is never a barrier to His miracles. His servant was healed according to his great faith.* *You may be going through some challenges now, but your prayer of faith can turn the situation around for you and move your mountain away.* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*Distance is never a barrier.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Your prayer of faith can move mountains.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, increase my faith.*_ The Prayer Of Faith https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday12thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [11/08, 9:24 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣6️⃣)*_ 🙇🏼🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️ ```WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2026``` *AVOID THE DANGER AHEAD!* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️⚠️‼️🛑❌🫷🏽🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```1 KINGS 11:9-14```📜📜 🕔📚🖋️🚻😁🎼🏆🍉🪴🌈💻 🔑📖 ```Key Verse:``` _*"And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice" (1 Kings 11:9).*_ 📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖 It is not all things that glitters that is gold. God is loving, He has great plans for His children. However, no parent toils on a child who decides to disobey instructions. Solomon was a beloved child of God. He found favour with God because David his father obeyed God. Your Christian parents, pastors, teachers and elders are sent to correct you. Don't despise their correction. Though God is merciful, yet the salvation of your parents doesn't guarantee your protection from the wiles of the devil. Solomon allowed his great wisdom to control him. He forgot God and embraced popularity and riches. God was angry with him and punished him severely. God is not a respecter of persons. He punishes every sinner or backslider. *Avoid the danger ahead! Sin leads to heavy consequences. Such consequences could come in the form of sickness, failure in examination, oppression or death (physical and eternal). Return to God your Maker, He loves you. Don't allow your worldly wisdom, pride or riches of your parents to take you to hell. Let the blood of Jesus wash you now.* 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 ```🅿️rayer:``` _*Dear God, give me the grace to humble myself under Your mighty hand.*_ 🙏🏽 ```📖 Further Reading:``` *Proverbs 1:7-14* Avoid The Danger Ahead! https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#SincereMilk12thAugust2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]. 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer [It is of] the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. ⏤ Lamentations 3:22-23 The Christian life is one of gratitude. A heart that is constantly overflowing with thankfulness is a heart close to God. ⏤ A.W. Tozer O God, giver of all good and fountain of all mercy, we thank You for Your grace and the many ways You show Your care for us. Your faithfulness never fails. Your mercies are new every morning, fresh every moment, more than we can count. What can we give You in return for all Your goodness to us? We have nothing to offer but the poor love of our hearts, and we give that to You. Grant us more and more the spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Teach us to sing even when tears choke our songs. Give us songs in the night. Teach us how to rejoice, even in care and sorrow. We thank You for our home and all it means to us. You have filled our lives with countless blessings through the love that unites us as a family. Our home is a little bit of Your love poured into our hearts. We thank You for the shelter our home provides and for the gentle affections that bind us together. May our home grow sweeter as the days pass. Make our home life more loving, patient, and kind. May our love be less selfish and more like the love of Jesus. We ask for special blessings for this day. We will face dangers we are unaware of; protect us from them. We are vulnerable to accidents wherever we go; defend us from them. Grant us the grace to walk through the moral challenges around us without being harmed by them. Give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all Your ways. Lead us wherever we go so that we may not stumble. Make us strong for holy service. Let Your protection be over us all day, and give us strength for every duty. We ask all this in Jesus' precious name. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/38/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.
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