THE FURNACE OF PRAISE Praise Tests Your Character ANCHOR SCRIPTURE Proverbs 27:21 (KJV) “As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” 1. PRAISE TESTS YOU Just as fire tests gold, praise tests your heart. Success and recognition reveal who you really are. Trouble tests your strength; praise tests your character. 2. STAY HUMBLE When people celebrate you, don't become proud. Proverbs 16:18 (KJV) “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Receive praise, but don't become a prisoner of applause. 3. GIVE GOD THE GLORY 1 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV) “...what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” Whatever you have achieved, remember that God gave you the ability and opportunity. 4. DON'T LIVE FOR APPLAUSE People may praise you today and criticize you tomorrow. Don't let people's opinions control your identity. Live for purpose, not applause. 5. LET YOUR WORK SPEAK Proverbs 27:2 (KJV) “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth...” Keep working. Keep learning. Keep serving. KEY LESSON 1. Praise tests character. 2. Stay humble. 3. Give God the glory. 4. Don't depend on approval. 5. Let your work speak. FINAL CHARGE When people praise you, don't let the applause change you. Be humble when celebrated. Be faithful when unnoticed. Give God the glory. SHORT PRAYER Father, give me a humble heart when I am praised. Keep me from pride and human approval. Help me to use every success to glorify You and serve others faithfully. In Jesus' name, Amen. Prepared by Rev. Frank Fabian Aidoo +233544295158

(long post ahead📖) There is a profound lesson I learned when I read this passage of Scripture: “said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭14‬-‭15‬, ‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬ This passage takes place during Jesus’ trial. He was falsely accused of many things, yet we know that He was completely innocent. He had no sin. Everything He taught was truth, and everything He did, reflected the will of the Father. Jesus could have defended Himself. After all, He possessed the very nature of God. He had every power and every right to prove His innocence. Yet He chose to remain silent and willingly submit Himself to the Father’s plan. Even Pilate declared before the crowd that he could find no fault in Jesus. Herod found no crime worthy of death either. Still, the people refused to listen. Instead, they shouted louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified. This reminds me of a sobering reality: 😔 Even if God Himself stands before people and speaks the truth, there will still be hearts that choose not to believe. Miracles, truth, and evidence alone cannot change a heart that refuses to surrender. Then came the moment of decision. The people were given a choice: ❓❓Jesus Christ or Barabbas. ❓❓ One was completely innocent. The other was a guilty criminal. Yet the crowd cried out for Barabbas to be released, while demanding that Jesus be condemned to die. 😢 As I reflected on this, something deeply touched my heart. I realized that Barabbas is a picture of us. We are the guilty ones. ✅ We are the sinners. ✅ Yet Jesus took our place. The punishment that should have fallen upon us was placed upon Him instead. The Son of God willingly exchanged His freedom for ours. He left the glory of heaven and humbled Himself to be born in a manger. Though He is the King of kings, He did not come to be served but to serve. He walked among the poor, healed the sick, showed mercy to sinners, comforted the brokenhearted, and lived a life of perfect holiness without sin. Finally, He gave His life on the cross. ✝️ The release of Barabbas beautifully illustrates the Gospel. Barabbas deserved the cross. Jesus did not. Yet Jesus took the cross that belonged to Barabbas. In the same way, we deserve the punishment for our sins…..eternal separation from God. But Jesus took our place. (Inangkin Niya ang ating mga kasalanan at pinasan Niya ang kaparusahang nararapat para sa atin upang tayo ay maligtas.) That is the greatest picture of God’s mercy. And above all, that is the greatest picture of love. It was never the nails that kept Jesus on the cross. 🙏🏻 It was His immeasurable, unconditional, and unfailing love for us. 💚💚💚 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) (HAVE A NICE DAY PIP’z) 😇

Let's talk about it. Deceiver Unmasked Why was Sin Permitted? Why did God not destroy the first evildoer, satan, even though He knew how he would harm countless innocent angels and humans? Revelation 12:7-9, 12 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. God permitted satan to carry forward his work until the spirit of disaffection ripened into active revolt. It was necessary for his plans to be fully developed, that their true nature and tendency might be seen by all. Lucifer, as the anointed cherub, had been highly exalted; he was greatly loved by the heavenly beings, and his influence over them was strong. God's government included not only the inhabitants of heaven, but of all the worlds that He had created; and Lucifer had concluded that if he could carry the angels of heaven with him in rebellion, he could carry also all the worlds. He had artfully presented his side of the question, employing sophistry and fraud to secure his objects. His power to deceive was very great. By disguising himself in a cloak of falsehood, he had gained an advantage. All his acts were so clothed with mystery that it was difficult to disclose to the angels the true nature of his work. Until fully developed, it could not be made to appear the evil thing it was; his disaffection would not be seen to be rebellion. Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading. God could employ Only such means as were consistent with Truth and Righteousness. Satan could use what God could not— flattery and deceit. He had sought to falsify the word of God and had misrepresented His plan of government, claiming that God was not just in imposing laws upon the angels; that in requiring submission and obedience from His creatures, He was seeking merely the exaltation of Himself. It was therefore necessary to demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven, and of all the worlds, that God's government is just, His law perfect. satan had made it appear that he himself was seeking to promote the good of the universe. The true character of the usurper and his real object must be understood by all. He must have time to manifest himself by his wicked works. The discord which his own course had caused in heaven, Satan charged upon the government of God. All evil he declared to be the result of the divine administration. He claimed that it was his own object to improve upon the statutes of Jehovah. Therefore God permitted him to demonstrate the nature of his claims, to show the working out of his proposed changes in the divine law. His own work must condemn him. Satan had claimed from the first that he was not in rebellion. The whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked. Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question. Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages—a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its [p. 43] terrible results. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty. He that ruleth in the heavens is the one who sees the end from the beginning—the one before whom the mysteries of the past and the future are alike outspread, and who, beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, beholds the accomplishment of His own purposes of love and blessing. Though "clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne." Psalm 97:2, R.V. And this the inhabitants of the universe, both loyal and disloyal, will one day understand. "His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." Deuteronomy 32:4.

Daily Bible Lesson. WE ASK GOD FOR MORE LIGHT—THEN MAKE EXCUSES WHEN HIS LIGHT REQUIRES CHANGE “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” — 1 Samuel 15:22 We pray: “Lord, show me Your will.” Then His light touches something we love— our time, appetite, appearance, character, location, or tongue— and suddenly: “My situation is different.” “Everyone does it.” “I'm not convicted.” Perhaps our greatest problem is not always lack of light. IT IS THE HUMAN HEART'S AMAZING ABILITY TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE LIGHT IT DOES NOT WANT TO OBEY. Jesus asks: “Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” — Luke 6:46 So here is the question beneath every reform: ARE WE SEEKING GOD'S WILL—OR ASKING GOD TO APPROVE OURS? --- ① SABBATH REFORM—WHO OWNS YOUR TIME? THE EXCUSES: “I have to work.” “Most Christians worship Sunday.” “God knows my heart.” Yes—God knows the heart. And Jesus says: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” — John 14:15 God's command still reads: “The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.” — Exodus 20:10 Obedience may cost convenience, approval, opportunity—even income. But faith asks something deeper: WHAT IS JESUS WORTH? “We ought to obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:29 Do not merely argue for the Sabbath. KNOW THE LORD OF THE SABBATH—and ask Him for faith to walk in His footsteps. --- ② HEALTH REFORM—HAS APPETITE RENAMED ITSELF “NECESSITY”? THE EXCUSES: “My body needs it.” “I've always eaten this way.” “We're all going to die anyway.” But this body is not ours to abuse. “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” — 1 Corinthians 6:20 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink… do all to the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31 Health reform is not salvation by menu. It is stewardship of a body purchased by Christ. Inspiration warns of those who “frame excuses and make necessities which have no existence” while resisting health light. — Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 399 What a warning: APPETITE IS A TERRIBLE COUNSELOR WHEN ASKED TO JUDGE ITS OWN HABITS. Stop asking only: “Do I enjoy it?” Ask: “WILL THIS KEEP MY BODY AND MIND FIT FOR CHRIST'S SERVICE?” --- ③ DRESS REFORM—WHO ARE WE TRYING TO PLEASE? THE EXCUSES: “It's only fashion.” “God only looks at the heart.” “I don't want to look different.” Yes: “The LORD looketh on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7 And Scripture also calls for: “Modest apparel.” — 1 Timothy 2:9 The issue is not ugliness. Not neglect. Not a religious uniform. The question is: WHO IS SHAPING MY APPEARANCE—CHRIST OR THE WORLD? Christian dress should reflect modesty, simplicity, health, dignity, and good taste without making self the attraction. CLOTHING CANNOT SAVE THE HEART—BUT THE MASTER OF THE HEART WILL INFLUENCE THE CLOTHING. Let your appearance quietly testify: “I BELONG TO CHRIST.” --- ④ CHARACTER REFORM—“THAT'S JUST HOW I AM.” Perhaps no excuse protects cherished defects more effectively. Anger becomes “my personality.” Pride becomes “confidence.” Bitterness becomes “what they deserve.” Then comes the universal shield: “Nobody is perfect.” True. But Jesus never made imperfection an excuse for refusing transformation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 2:5 Christ does not merely forgive us in the old life. HE BEGINS MAKING US NEW. “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” — Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69 Stop defending your defect with: “THAT'S WHO I AM.” Bring it to Jesus: “LORD, MAKE ME LIKE YOU.” --- ⑤ LOCATION REFORM—WHY DID INSPIRATION CRY, “OUT OF THE CITIES”? Here excuses become painfully practical: “My job is here.” “My children's opportunities are here.” “I'll move when everything becomes convenient.” Yet Inspiration repeatedly urged: “Out of the cities, out of the cities! This is the message the Lord has been giving me.” — Country Living, p. 29 Why? Not because soil saves souls. But country surroundings can favor health, simplicity, useful labor, children learning from nature, greater separation from corrupting influences, and preparation for difficult times. God's first home for humanity was not a congested metropolis. “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden.” — Genesis 2:8 Abraham lived as a pilgrim. Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” — Genesis 13:12 Their stories remind us: LOCATION CANNOT CONVERT THE HEART—BUT ENVIRONMENT CAN POWERFULLY INFLUENCE IT. Yet Inspiration also counseled: “Out of the cities; but not a moment before God would have us go.” — Country Living, p. 26 So the message is not: PANIC AND RUN. It is: PRAY. PREPARE. SIMPLIFY. LEARN. WATCH PROVIDENCE. AND WHEN GOD OPENS THE WAY—OBEY. And remember: YOU CAN LEAVE BABYLON GEOGRAPHICALLY WHILE BABYLON STILL LIVES IN YOUR HEART. Christ's first relocation project is: SELF OFF THE THRONE—CHRIST ON IT. --- ⑥ SPEECH REFORM—CAN A CONVERTED HEART KEEP AN UNCONVERTED TONGUE? Here the excuses sound innocent: “I'm only joking.” “But it's true!” “I just needed to release my feelings.” Scripture answers: “Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting… but rather giving of thanks.” — Ephesians 5:4 “Speak evil of no man.” — Titus 3:2 And instead: “That which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” — Ephesians 4:29 Imagine that standard: WORDS THAT MINISTER GRACE. No gossip. No slander. No degrading jesting. No cutting sarcasm. No dishonest flattery. No spreading bitterness from heart to heart. “Bless, and curse not.” — Romans 12:14 This does not mean hiding wrongdoing. Jesus rebuked sin. Nathan confronted David. Paul corrected churches. Truth sometimes must hurt before it heals. But Scripture says: “Speaking the truth in love.” — Ephesians 4:15 Before speaking, ask: IS IT TRUE? IS IT NECESSARY? IS IT LOVING? WILL IT BUILD RATHER THAN POISON? WOULD I SAY IT THIS WAY IN THE VISIBLE PRESENCE OF JESUS? “Let the law of kindness be upon your lips and the oil of grace in your heart.” — Christ's Object Lessons, p. 337 What a standard: **TRUTH ON THE LIPS. GRACE IN THE HEART.** --- ⑦ PERHAPS THE MOST DANGEROUS EXCUSE—“I'M NOT CONVICTED.” Sometimes that is sincere. Conscience must never be forced. But sometimes: “I'M NOT CONVICTED” really means: “I DON'T WANT TO INVESTIGATE THIS DEEPLY ENOUGH TO BECOME CONVICTED.” Jesus reveals a searching principle: “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” — John 7:17 Notice the order: WILLINGNESS → UNDERSTANDING → OBEDIENCE. Before asking, “Is this really required?” ask: “LORD, IF YOUR WORD SHOWS ME THAT I AM WRONG—AM I WILLING TO CHANGE?” That question exposes whether we want truth— or merely reassurance. --- ⑧ BUT HERE IS THE DANGER ON THE OTHER SIDE—REFORM WITHOUT CHRIST Inspiration defines genuine reformation: “Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices.” — Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 128 Truth must reach: the calendar, the kitchen, the wardrobe, the temper, the address, the tongue, and the choices nobody sees. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” — James 1:22 But never miss this: REFORMATION WITHOUT CHRIST CAN PRODUCE A PHARISEE. You can keep Sabbath— and hate your brother. Eat perfectly— and feed on pride. Dress modestly— and advertise self-righteousness. Move to the country— and take worldliness with you. Guard your tongue publicly— while bitterness rules privately. Jesus did not come merely to rearrange our habits. HE CAME TO RECREATE OUR HEARTS. “Without Me ye can do nothing.” — John 15:5 --- THE QUESTION BENEATH EVERY REFORM When Christ touches your— TIME—will He be Lord? APPETITE—will He be Lord? APPEARANCE—will He be Lord? CHARACTER—will He be Lord? LOCATION—will He be Lord? TONGUE—will He be Lord? There it is. DOES JESUS HAVE PERMISSION TO CHANGE EVERYTHING? “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” — Luke 9:23 Perhaps we do not need another argument. Perhaps we need another surrender. Instead of continually praying: “LORD, GIVE ME MORE LIGHT,” perhaps we need to pray: “LORD, FORGIVE ME FOR RESISTING THE LIGHT I ALREADY HAVE.” Take my appetite. Take my pride. Take my temper. Take my tongue. Take my plans. Take my home. TAKE MY WHOLE HEART. “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” — Acts 9:6 NO MORE EXCUSES. NO MORE BARGAINING WITH LIGHT. NO MORE TRYING TO OUTREASON GOD. CHRIST BEFORE CONVENIENCE. FAITH BEFORE FEAR. TRUTH BEFORE TRADITION. SURRENDER BEFORE SELF. Because when Jesus truly becomes Lord— REFORMATION IS NO LONGER SOMETHING GOD MUST FORCE FROM US. IT BECOMES SOMETHING LOVE IS WILLING TO SURRENDER TO HIM.

Choose Forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32) Almost everyone knows what it feels like to be hurt. Someone breaks your trust. A friend betrays you. Someone says something that stays in your heart for years. A relationship ends painfully. Someone treats you unfairly. And sometimes the hardest part isn't the pain itself. It's deciding what to do with that pain. You may feel like holding on to anger will protect you. You may think: “They don't deserve my forgiveness.” And perhaps what happened was genuinely wrong. But Jesus calls us to something greater than revenge. The Bible says: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Forgiveness doesn't mean pretending that what happened was acceptable. It doesn't mean saying that the person didn't hurt you. It doesn't mean you must immediately trust someone who has broken your trust. And forgiveness doesn't always mean reconciliation. Sometimes healthy boundaries are necessary. But forgiveness means refusing to allow someone else's wrongdoing to control your heart forever. It means releasing your desire for revenge and placing justice in God's hands. Jesus gave us the ultimate example. He was betrayed. Rejected. Mocked. Beaten. Crucified. Yet even while suffering on the cross, He prayed for those who were hurting Him. That is the power of God's grace. And if Christ has forgiven us, we are called to extend that grace to others. Think about how much God has forgiven you. Every mistake. Every sinful thought. Every wrong decision. Every time you ignored His voice. Every time you chose your own way. We stand in need of grace too. That doesn't make someone else's wrongdoing insignificant. It reminds us that we are also people who need forgiveness. Maybe today you're carrying anger toward someone. You don't have to pretend everything is fine. Bring the pain to God. Tell Him exactly how you feel. Ask Him to heal your heart. Ask Him to help you forgive. And if necessary, establish wise boundaries. But don't let bitterness become your identity. Bitterness can consume the person carrying it more than the person who caused the hurt. Forgiveness sets your heart free. Sometimes forgiveness happens in one decision. Sometimes it is a process. You may have to surrender the same pain to God repeatedly. That's okay. Keep giving it to Him. Keep praying. Keep healing. Keep choosing grace. And remember that forgiveness doesn't mean you have to forget the lesson. You can forgive someone and still learn from what happened. You can forgive and still protect yourself. You can forgive and still choose wisdom. You can forgive without returning to an unhealthy situation. Forgiveness is not weakness. It is freedom. If you have hurt someone, don't only ask God for forgiveness. Where appropriate, have the courage to apologize. Say: “I was wrong.” “I'm sorry.” “Please forgive me.” Humility can begin the healing of a relationship. And if someone has hurt you, ask God for the strength to release the bitterness. You may not be able to change what happened. But with God's help, you can choose what happens next. Don't let yesterday's pain steal today's peace. Give your hurt to God and choose forgiveness. Is there someone you need to forgive—or someone you need to ask for forgiveness today? #ChooseForgiveness #Ephesians432 #Forgiveness #Grace #Healing #ChristianYouth #FaithInAction #JesusForgives #JesusSaves #ShareJesus #DailyFaith #Lordsbook #JMSM #KNKA

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: DOES READING THE BIBLE ON YOUR PHONE A SIN? A Powerful Sermon for Young and Mature Christians. The Phone Is Not the Problem. Imagine this: You wake up in the morning. Before your feet touch the floor, your hand reaches for your phone. You check WhatsApp. You scroll through Facebook. You watch a few videos. You check notifications. You laugh at a few posts. Then someone asks you: “Did you read your Bible today?” You say, “Yes, I read it on my phone.” But another person says, “Reading the Bible on your phone is not spiritual. You need a physical Bible!” So, who is right? Is reading the Bible on your phone a sin? The answer is NO. The Bible does not teach that reading God's Word from a phone is sinful. The issue is not whether the Bible is printed on paper or displayed on a screen. The greater issue is whether God's Word is entering your heart and transforming your life. Your phone can be a tool for temptation—or a tool for transformation. The same device that can carry pornography can carry Scripture. The same phone that can waste three hours can also help you spend thirty minutes with God. The question is not simply: “What device are you using?” The deeper question is: “What are you using the device for, and what is God's Word producing in your life?” 1. GOD'S WORD IS WHAT MATTERS, NOT THE MATERIAL IT IS PRINTED ON Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16–17 «“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”» Paul does not say God's Word becomes powerful only when printed on paper. The authority of Scripture comes from God, not from the material on which the words appear. Whether you read: - a physical Bible, - a Bible app, - an ebook, - a Bible website, - or listen to an audio Bible, the important question is whether you are receiving and obeying the truth of God's Word. Consider this: If you read Psalm 23 on paper, God can speak to you. If you read Psalm 23 on your phone, God can speak to you. The paper does not make the Word powerful. God makes His Word powerful. The Bible says: «“The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.” — Hebrews 4:12» The power is in the Word, not in the paper. 2. JESUS TAUGHT US TO CARRY GOD'S WORD IN OUR HEARTS Key Scripture: Psalm 119:11 «“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”» Notice what the psalmist says: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart.” He doesn't say, “I have hidden Your Word in my leather Bible.” The ultimate goal of Bible reading is not merely to own a Bible. It is to allow the Bible to own your heart. You can carry a beautiful Bible everywhere and never obey it. You can have 20 Bible apps installed and never open one. You can underline hundreds of verses and still refuse to forgive somebody. You can listen to sermons every day and remain unchanged. Therefore, Bible possession is not the same as Bible transformation. Jesus said: «“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15» The real evidence that we are receiving God's Word is not merely that we read it. It is that we obey it. 3. YOUR PHONE CAN BECOME A TEMPLE OF DISTRACTION OR A TOOL OF DISCIPLESHIP This is where we need wisdom. Reading the Bible on your phone is not a sin. But allowing your phone to constantly distract you from God's Word is a spiritual problem. You open your Bible app to read Matthew 5. A notification appears. You check WhatsApp. Someone has posted something interesting. You open Facebook. Then you see a video. Then another video. Twenty minutes later, you have forgotten why you opened the phone. The problem was not the phone. The problem was lack of spiritual discipline. Jesus said: «“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” — Matthew 26:41» We must learn to control our devices rather than allowing our devices to control us. Your phone can help you: - read Scripture every morning; - memorize Bible verses; - listen to Scripture while travelling; - study different Bible translations; - search for related passages; - take spiritual notes; - listen to Christian teaching; - share Scripture with others; - follow a Bible reading plan. But it can also become a major source of distraction. The same phone can take you closer to God or farther from Him. The difference is how you use it. 4. DON'T CONFUSE A PHYSICAL BIBLE WITH SPIRITUALITY There is nothing wrong with loving a physical Bible. In fact, many Christians find it easier to concentrate, underline passages, make notes, and remember where verses are located when using a printed Bible. That's wonderful. But we must be careful not to create spiritual rules that God did not create. If someone says: “You are sinning because you read the Bible on your phone,” ask respectfully: “Where does Scripture teach that?” We must distinguish between: Biblical commands Things God actually commands. Personal preferences Things that may help us spiritually but are not universal commands. A physical Bible can be an excellent spiritual tool. But it is not a requirement for salvation. It is not the paper that makes someone spiritual. It is their relationship with Christ and their submission to God's Word. 5. THE GOAL OF BIBLE READING IS TRANSFORMATION Key Scripture: James 1:22 «“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”» This is one of the most important truths in this entire message. You can read the Bible on your phone and become spiritually mature. You can read the Bible from a physical Bible and remain spiritually immature. Why? Because reading is the beginning—not the destination. The Word should change: - how you speak; - how you think; - how you treat people; - how you handle money; - how you respond to temptation; - how you conduct relationships; - how you forgive; - how you work; - how you raise your children; - how you use technology. If your Bible reading does not affect your life, something is missing. The purpose of Scripture is not simply to fill your head with information but to transform your heart and direct your life. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS Consider Jesus' temptation in Matthew 4. When Satan came to tempt Him, Jesus responded repeatedly: “It is written…” Jesus knew the Word. He remembered the Word. He trusted the Word. He used the Word. And He obeyed the Word. The lesson is powerful: The Bible is not merely something we read during peaceful moments. It is truth we carry into spiritual battles. When temptation says: “You cannot overcome this.” The Word says: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man…” — 1 Corinthians 10:13 When fear says: “You are alone.” The Word says: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” — Hebrews 13:5 When anxiety says: “Everything is going to collapse.” The Word says: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication…” — Philippians 4:6 When condemnation says: “You are finished.” The Word reminds you: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1 That is why we must not merely read the Word. We must know the Word. DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHT Your phone is neither holy nor sinful by itself. It is a tool. A knife can prepare food or cause harm. Money can support ministry or become an idol. A car can take you to church or take you somewhere sinful. A phone can spread the Gospel or spread ungodliness. The issue is the heart of the user. Jesus taught: «“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” — Matthew 6:21» Therefore, examine your heart. If you use your phone to read Scripture, praise God. If your phone constantly distracts you from Scripture, establish boundaries. If a particular app repeatedly pulls you into sin, have the courage to remove it. Don't protect an app at the expense of your spiritual life. PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. Choose a Bible-reading time Don't wait until you “feel spiritual.” Set a time and keep it. 2. Turn off notifications When studying Scripture, silence unnecessary notifications. Give God your attention. 3. Use your phone intentionally Before opening your phone, know why you are opening it. If you are reading Scripture, read Scripture. 4. Keep a physical Bible if it helps you There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a printed Bible. Use whatever helps you engage deeply with God's Word. 5. Don't only read—meditate Ask: What is God saying? What does this reveal about Him? What must I change? What must I obey? 6. Memorize Scripture A phone can disappear. A battery can die. A network can fail. But God's Word hidden in your heart remains with you. 7. Put Scripture into practice Forgive. Love. Serve. Give. Pray. Speak truth. Resist temptation. Live holy. That is when Scripture becomes visible in your life. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. Am I reading the Bible to know God or simply to complete a reading plan? 2. Does my phone help my spiritual life more than it harms it? 3. What usually distracts me when I try to read Scripture? 4. Do I obey the Bible or merely quote it? 5. Is there an app or online activity that is consistently pulling me away from God? 6. What Scripture am I currently hiding in my heart? 7. If someone observed my phone activity for one week, would they see evidence of Christ? POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Prayer for Hunger Father, give me a deep hunger and thirst for Your Word. Let me desire Scripture more than entertainment, in Jesus' name. 2. Prayer for Understanding Lord, open my spiritual understanding. Help me not only to read Your Word but to understand what You are saying to me. 3. Prayer Against Distraction Father, deliver me from every distraction that steals my attention from You. Give me discipline and spiritual focus. 4. Prayer for Obedience Lord, give me grace to practice what I read. Let Your Word transform my thoughts, character, decisions, and relationships. 5. Prayer for Technology Father, teach me to use technology wisely. Let my phone become a tool for Your glory and not an instrument of spiritual destruction. 6. Prayer for Young People Lord, raise a generation of young people who love Your Word, understand Your truth, resist temptation, and boldly represent Christ in this digital age. 7. Prayer for Spiritual Growth Holy Spirit, make me spiritually mature. Let Scripture become deeply rooted in my heart and visible in my daily life. STRONG CLOSING: WHAT IS YOUR PHONE DOING TO YOUR SPIRIT? Let me leave you with this question: When you pick up your phone, what usually gets the first part of your attention? Social media? Entertainment? Messages? News? Or God? Your phone is not your master. Your notifications are not your master. Social media is not your master. Jesus Christ is Lord. So, if reading the Bible on your phone helps you encounter God, read it. If listening to an audio Bible helps you stay in God's Word, listen. If a physical Bible helps you concentrate, use it. The goal is not to worship the format. The goal is to know the Author. Don't become a Christian who owns a Bible but doesn't know the God of the Bible. Don't become someone who can quote Scripture but refuses to obey it. Don't allow a smartphone to become smarter than your spiritual life. Use technology—but don't let technology use you. Read the Word. Study the Word. Meditate on the Word. Memorize the Word. Obey the Word. Live the Word. And most importantly: Live for Jesus. Final Declaration My phone will not control me. My distractions will not control me. God's Word will guide me. The Holy Spirit will lead me. Jesus Christ will remain my Lord. And everything I use—including my technology—will be used for the glory of God. Amen! 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

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The Battle May Come, But It Won’t Have the Final Word God never promised that challenges would never come. He promised that they would not have the power to destroy His purpose for your life. Isaiah 54:17 reminds us: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” Sometimes opposition can make you question whether God is still with you. People may misunderstand you, speak against you, or situations may suddenly become difficult. But remember this: the presence of a battle does not mean the absence of God. You don't have to respond to every accusation. You don't have to prove your heart to everyone. Keep walking in truth. Keep praying. Keep your peace. Let God handle what you cannot control. What looks like a setback today may become part of your testimony tomorrow. Life Lesson: Don't measure God's protection by the absence of battles. Measure it by the strength He gives you to overcome them. Let's Pray 🙏 Father, thank You for being my refuge and defender. When challenges arise, give me wisdom, courage, and peace. Protect me and my loved ones from every plan meant for harm, and turn every difficult season into a testimony of Your faithfulness. In Jesus' name, Amen. 🙏🔥 If you believe God is fighting for you, declare: “The battle may come, but it will not defeat me. God is with me!” 🛡️🙌 #FaithOverFear #GodIsMyDefender #NoWeapon #DivineProtection

DAILY BREAD FELLOWSHIP DBF-001-028 Today’s Scripture John 2:7 (ESV) “Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.” Opening the Scriptures The six large stone jars were standing nearby. Then Jesus gave the servants a simple command: “Fill the jars with water.” The servants did not yet know what Jesus was going to do. The wedding needed wine, yet Jesus told them to bring water. From a human point of view, the command may have seemed unrelated to the problem. But the servants obeyed. John adds an important detail: “They filled them up to the brim.” They did not partially obey. They did not fill the jars halfway and decide that was enough. They carried out the command completely. They still did not know what would happen next. They simply did what Jesus told them to do. Living God’s Word Today There is an important lesson here about Christian obedience. We often want God to explain everything before we obey Him. We want to know why. We want to know what will happen. We want to understand how obedience will benefit us. But obedience to Christ cannot depend upon our understanding of the outcome. When God has spoken clearly in His Word, our responsibility is to obey. Sometimes His commands will challenge us. Forgive. Love your enemies. Speak the truth. Flee from sin. Care for those in need. Share the Gospel. Remain faithful when obedience becomes costly. We may not always understand what God is accomplishing through our obedience. The servants at Cana certainly did not. But they filled the jars “up to the brim.” There is also a warning for us here. Partial obedience is often disguised disobedience. We cannot faithfully follow Christ while selecting only the commands we find comfortable. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Our obedience does not earn salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, not by our works. But a life transformed by Christ should increasingly become a life of obedience to Christ. The servants could fill the jars. They could not perform the miracle. That belonged entirely to Jesus. The same distinction remains important for us. Our responsibility is faithful obedience. The results belong to God. Today, do not demand to see the outcome before obeying. Trust Christ enough to do what He has commanded. And when you obey, do not stop halfway. Fill it to the brim. Question for Today Is there an area where you have been giving Christ only partial obedience? Respond: “Lord Jesus, help me to obey You completely.”

THIS IS BAPHOMET This lesson will be a little different as we will address the urgency of this topic. Baphomet was one of the early child sacrificing gods of the Bible days. But here is the issue. The worship of Baphomet continues to this day. It is Satanism pure and simple. Worship entailed having sexual intercourse with temple priests and prostitutes. Baphomet is a creature with both male and female genitalia. Female breasts with male arms and legs. Baphomet worship is a fulfillment of base sexual desires and deviance. It is foundational homosexuality from the source that inspires homosexuality, Satan. It is necessary as a follower of Baphomet to sacrifice your children to him. In Bible days, that meant placing your infant to one year old child into the white-hot metal arms of a Baphomet idol and worshipping as your child writhes in excruciating pain before dying. Yes, to this day there are Captains of industry, government leaders and Hollywood elites who gather to offer the life of their children to Baphomet. Today's worship of Baphomet still accepts the human sacrifices, but an additional provision was added. “Sacrificing your child” could mean doing so and devoting their continued life in service as a priest of Baphomet. What did that entail? It required the forced removal of a male's sexual organs. The new “priest” would live out his remaining days as a neutered sex object accepting the offerings of others. Do you understand that the push for accepting homosexuality in this country was always headed here? That it wasn't tolerance they wanted, or acceptance. Do you understand now why so many on the left have transgendered children? How the transgendered lunacy has resulted in government leaders too afraid to even define the word, “woman”. Within the past decade there has been another shift in culture to demonize Biblical stances and adults nowadays refuse to define the word, ‘woman’ because to do so would go counter to their agenda. So the madness that it is allowing men into locker rooms or women's bathrooms, and insisting against all science that they are a different kind of woman is not a mental deficiency, it is part and parcel of their Satanic agenda. Does it begin to make more sense that liberal women now stand supporting a mentally ill woman who strangled her 3 children? Anything to support victimizing the innocent is front and center in todays world as a great thing. Statistically speaking transgendered individuals make up 1% of a population of 3 to 5% of homosexuals but celebrities have 4 children, all of whom are transgendered now. This is a combination of mental illness and a demonic intent. They cannot be reasoned with, they will not apply the simplest of logic or understand reality because they can't. Why? They told us. Earlier last year a parade of homosexuals marched through the streets chanting, “We're here. We're queer. And we're coming for your children. “ But to share the video or comment on it was somehow “phobic”. So they can openly admit to wanting to rape your children, but for us to point it out becomes problematic. And we look around now and what used to be considered common sense is now considered bigotry. The absolute hatred that is displayed against anyone calling into question allowing a male to compete unfairly against women in sports isn't about acceptance, or equality it is rooted in the worship of Satan. Look at the rage on the videos of the mentally ill men online screaming “It's she, I'm a she.” Or, “It's ma'am.” That is not rational. It is not natural, it is demonic. This is not political, the leftist devotion to all things anti-god has been an issue for decades. But when adults in a school charged with keeping our kids safe covers up a trans student raping a girl in the bathroom, transferring him to another school where it happens again, you know there's an evil behind it. They would rather girls get raped than to possibly offend a homosexual and will go to great lengths not only to cover it up, but to allow it to happen again. No, what we see with Britney Griner and Lea Thompson is lackluster mediocre male athletes who aren't capable of competing against men now “declaring themselves female” so they can steal scholarships and positions from females. These men are doing this out of greed and indifference but the people defending them have a clear Satanic agenda. Even though the individuals themselves may not be aware, this is not a rights issue, it started as and continues as pagan worship. It is a demonic stance that God has made clear He hates. When you realize that the whole effort to deny the most basic biological fact that there are only 2 genders is not about rights, not about acceptance, it is clear that any organization or church supporting this is of a Satanic origin. They've said as much. So when you see celebrities with multiple children who they've adopted and then altered to become transgendered ministers of Baphomet, now you understand. They've surrendered the future to Satan creating a generation of infertile devotees to a blood cult. They must be removed from power and influence but they won't be because this is where we were always headed with the issue of homosexuality. To a culture that is either too afraid to speak up when children are being cut from the womb to be eaten by Baphomet fanatics, or they will follow cultural norms and will do nothing to stop it. Pray, brothers and sisters in Christ. Because Jesus is coming to His own and these unbelievers will be tossed unceremoniously into the pit of eternal fire to suffer eternally. Along with every lukewarm Christian who didn't want to make a stand out of fear of consequences. Now is the time to make a stand.