“Every day is a new opportunity to draw closer to Jesus.” Every day, we are running after many things work, family, responsibilities, and the future. But every new day is the greatest opportunity God gives us: an opportunity to draw closer to Him. Yesterday, we may not have sought God. We may have grown weary in prayer or made mistakes. But today is a new day. Yesterday’s failures do not have to prevent us from experiencing God’s love today. We can once again sit at His feet, seek His Word, and listen to His voice. The Bible says: > “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” — James 4:8 Drawing closer to God is not something we do only once; it is a decision we need to make every day. When we take one step toward Him, He never leaves us or turns away from us. So, don’t look at today as just another day. See it as a new opportunity God has given you—to know Jesus more deeply, love Him more dearly, and walk more closely with Him. “Today, I will walk closer to Jesus than I did yesterday.” Hepsi Sam ✍️

The Fleshy Word. 2 The Kitchen by Omodolapo Ogunye What does it really mean to know Jesus Christ? This episode of The Kitchen takes that question beyond the familiar language of Scripture, doctrine and biblical stories and introduces a profound premise: Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, and the Body of the Word is the detailed revelation of who He is. Drawing from Revelation 1, Colossians 2:9 and other Scriptures, the episode explores the descriptions of Christ's head, eyes, face, hands, feet and voice. These are presented as revelations that help us understand the Person of the Word. The central challenge of the episode is compelling: if we want a fuller knowledge of Christ, we must learn to see and understand His Body. Each member carries its own description, function and value, and together they reveal more of the Person of the Word. This makes The Fleshy Word. 2 an important continuation of the journey into The Body of the Word. It invites the listener to read Scripture differently—not merely looking for verses to quote, but looking for the detailed revelation of the Person whom the Scriptures reveal. I recommend this episode to anyone who wants to go deeper in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Listen carefully, particularly to the way the episode connects the different members of the Body with the identity and attributes of the Word. 🎧 Listen to “The Fleshy Word. 2” on The Kitchen Available on: • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Music • Audible • Deezer Listen to The Kitchen on Acast The Kitchen by Omodolapo Ogunye Celebrating The Body of the Word.

17-08-2026 One Spirit With Him Scripture — 1 Corinthians 6:17 (AMP) “But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” What an incredible truth: when you belong to Christ, you are not walking through life alone. You are united with Him. The world often tells us to find our identity in what we accomplish, what people think of us, our past, or our circumstances. But God invites us into something far deeper. Through faith in Jesus, we are joined to Him. His presence is not simply something we visit during prayer or church—it is a reality we carry with us every day. Being “one spirit with Him” means your relationship with Jesus affects the way you think, speak, choose, love, and live. When you are tempted, He is with you. When you are discouraged, He is with you. When you don't know which way to go, you can turn to Him. You don't have to live as though you are separated from God, trying to figure everything out by your own strength. His Spirit is with you, guiding you and drawing you closer to Him. Today, remember that your life belongs to Christ. Your body, your mind, your choices, your dreams, and your future can all be surrendered to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live from your union with Jesus rather than from fear, pressure, or insecurity. Prayer Father, thank You that through Jesus I am united with You. Help me to remember that I am never alone. Let Your Spirit guide my thoughts, my words, and my decisions today. Teach me to live in a way that honors You and reflects Your love. When I feel weak, remind me that Your presence is with me. I surrender every part of my life to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Today’s Reminder I am not alone. I belong to Christ, and I am one spirit with Him. His presence goes with me wherever I go. 🙏✨

We are living in a time of tremendous technological advancement, specially in A.I., Data-Centres & Flock-Cameras. Hence the message is titled: "A.I. is far more dangerous than you think". Is this something to be frightened of, no certainly not: "When we see all these things happening, rejoice, look up, your redemption is drawing near. Technology can be used to spread the Gospel & Bible teaching fast & effectively, but this message is a warning against the spiritual dangers of A.I. So we can use it wisely but we need to be very discerning & wise & know when to not rely on this. Making sure that this reliance, does not become dependence, leading to be an idol that is giving us false information. https://youtu.be/MaQ8R5GJ4DU Teaching slides can be viewed on: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1526020529565547&set=pcb.1526046002896333

Daily Devotional. Work for the needy. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Matthew 9:35 What a busy life Christ led! Day by day He might be seen entering the humble abodes of want and sorrow, speaking hope to the downcast and peace to the distressed. The poor and suffering received the greatest share of His attention. Children loved Him. They were drawn to Him by His ready sympathy. By His simple, loving words He settled many a difficulty arising among them. Often He took them on His knee and talked with them in a way that won their hearts.... Humble, gracious, tenderhearted, pitiful, He went about doing good, feeding the hungry, lifting up the bowed down, comforting the sorrowing. None who came to Him for aid went away unrelieved. Not a thread of selfishness was woven into the pattern He has left for His children to follow. He lived the life that He would have all live who believe on Him. It was His meat and drink to do the will of His Father. To all who came to Him for help He brought faith and hope and life. Wherever He went He carried blessing. The tender sympathies of our Saviour were aroused for fallen and suffering humanity. If you would be His followers, you must cultivate compassion and sympathy. Indifference to human woes must give place to lively interest in the sufferings of others. The widow, the orphan, the sick and the dying, will always need help. Here is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel—to hold up Jesus, the hope and consolation of all men. When the suffering body has been relieved, and you have shown a lively interest in the afflicted, the heart is opened, and you can pour in the heavenly balm. If you are looking to Jesus, and drawing from Him knowledge and strength and grace, you can impart His consolation to others, because the Comforter is with you. [231]

Lifeline Today Friday August 14 Draw Near They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84:7 (NKJV) Keeping distance from God weakens a believer. It is nearness to Him that increases the strength you need for your life journey. Nearness is a spiritual state of close and personal fellowship with the Almighty; not a physical location, but an intimate connection built on faith, prayer, and trust. You need more strength constantly for various reasons. The ability you used to solve yesterday’s problem may not be adequate for tomorrow’s challenge. Your responsibility will always look bigger than your ability. The task before you will always look more enormous than the time and opportunity available to you. There are things you must go through always before you break through. As you draw near, you know more of God, and you draw more of His power and anointing to prevail and be in constant dominion. This is your day. Wisdom Fountain: "Drawing near to the source of your strength is the quickest way to renew it." Prayer: : Lord, You are my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. Thank You because You are never far away; You are in me. Strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being. When I am weak, let Your infinite might take over. Give me courage for the tasks ahead and peace that quiets my anxious thoughts. Help me to walk closely with You always, taking one step at a time in total reliance on Your love for me in Jesus’ name.

✝️ DAILY HOMILY - AUGUST 12TH WED | WEEK 2: DIVINE DIRECTION AND OPEN DOORS CHRIST CRUCIFIED OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL TEXT: PSALM 32:8 - "I WILL INSTRUCT YOU" VERSE: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." – Psalm 32:8 MESSAGE: God doesn’t just open doors and leave you to guess. He personally instructs. This week is Divine Direction And Open Doors. And God is saying directly to you: “I will instruct you... I will counsel you... my eye is upon you.” 1. I will instruct you – God will show you the way to go. Not just any way, but the way. 2. I will teach you – He won’t just tell you what to do. He’ll teach you why, so you grow. 3. I will counsel you with my eye upon you – His attention is on you. He’s watching, guiding, adjusting your steps in real time. You don’t have to navigate August blind. The same God who opens doors also walks you through them. He sees around corners you can’t see. He knows which door leads to peace and which leads to pressure. Your part? Stay sensitive. Stay submitted. Stay close enough to hear. His part? Instruct, teach, and counsel. KEY LINE: With God’s eye on you, you will never miss your way. PRAYER: Father, Thank You that Your eye is upon me. Instruct me in the way I should go this week. Teach me and counsel me. I’m listening. Lead me to the doors You’ve opened and keep me from every trap. I trust Your direction. In Jesus’ name, Amen. CCOI | Christ Crucified Outreach International Preaching Jesus | Reaching Souls | Helping the Needy Led by Prophet Israel Aviedo 🙏 "Lifting Jesus, Drawing Men" - John 12:32

The Story Behind the Hymns. THE STORY BEHIND “NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE” When the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and began its final descent into the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, the ship’s musicians continued playing as passengers faced the unfolding tragedy. Among the hymns associated with those final moments was “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” The image of the hymn being played as the great ship disappeared into the darkness has become one of the most enduring stories connected with the hymn. Its words, centred on drawing closer to God even in the face of suffering and death, gave the moment a profound spiritual significance. The hymn’s opening lines express that longing: “Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross That raiseth me…” However, the story of “Nearer, My God, to Thee” began long before the Titanic. The words were written by Sarah Flower Adams, an English poet, in 1841. Adams drew her inspiration from the biblical story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel, recorded in Genesis 28. According to the biblical account, Jacob was travelling away from home when he stopped to sleep. During the night, he dreamed of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. God spoke to Jacob and reassured him of His presence and promises. Inspired by this powerful encounter, Adams wrote “Nearer, My God, to Thee” as a prayer expressing the desire to remain close to God through every circumstance of life, even through hardship, sorrow and death. The hymn was later set to several melodies. The tune most commonly associated with it today is “Bethany,” composed by American church musician Lowell Mason and published in 1856. Over the generations, the hymn became a treasured part of Christian worship, particularly in moments of grief, farewell and personal trial. Its message is timeless: circumstances may change, suffering may come, and the journey may become difficult, but the believer can continually seek the presence of God. More than 180 years after Sarah Flower Adams wrote its words, and more than a century after its association with the Titanic, “Nearer, My God, to Thee” continues to be sung around the world. At its heart is a simple prayer: Nearer to God, through every step, every struggle and every season of life.

THE PILGRIMS GUIDE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12, 2026 THE MARKETPLACE AS A PLATFORM FOR MINISTRY 2 A WORD FROM THE WORD: "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV Your place of work is your platform of ministry to live (and preach Christ). This is what you received by mercy, you mustn't grow weary as an apostle in the marketplace in manifesting Christ in your place of work or business. It is a responsibility, and you're not being required by Heaven to do what has not been done before; the LORD Jesus laid an example for us when He manifested the life of the Father at every opportunity 'full of grace and truth' during His earthly ministry through His attitude and conduct.. If your faith is anchored on the hope of the resurrection after death, then you should be ready to lose out in every temporary income in order to gain the rewards of eternity with God. But if it is mainly seeking the gains of this life, then it would be difficult to have that practical relevance of quality honour to honour God in your place of work or business. PRAYER BULLETS: LORD Jesus, thank You for the privilege of knowing and drawing close to You. Strengthen me so that my testimony of life from my platform, even my place of work/business will bring You glory externally. FURTHER READING: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18; Philippians 1:20-21. __________________________________________ ©️ Amaobi Nwachukwu 2026. If you're blessed by this, please, do share with others. And if you'll like to partner with us, kindly check page 3 of our hard copy edition or better still send us a WhatsApp message or call on +234 8098421967. #ThePilgrimsGuide.

11-08-2026 Saved by Grace Ephesians 2:8–9 (AMP) reminds us that salvation is a gift from God: “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved, actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life, through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves—not through your own effort, but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your attempts] to keep the Law, so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].” 💛 You Don’t Have to Earn His Love How easy it is to believe that we need to do more to be worthy of God’s love. We may think we need to pray more, serve more, get everything right, or somehow prove ourselves to Him. But Ephesians 2:8–9 gives us beautiful freedom: salvation is by grace through faith. Grace means God gives us what we could never earn. We cannot work our way into His presence. We cannot boast about our goodness. We simply receive what Jesus has already made available to us. Your salvation is not a trophy you earned—it is a gift you received. And because it is a gift, you don't have to wake up every morning wondering, “Am I good enough for God today?” Instead, you can say, “Thank You, Jesus, that Your grace is enough for me.” 🌸 Grace Changes How We Live Grace does not give us an excuse to live carelessly. It gives us a reason to live gratefully. When we understand how much God has freely given us, obedience becomes a response of love rather than an attempt to earn His approval. Today, let go of the pressure to prove yourself. Rest in the finished work of Christ. Your identity is not found in how perfectly you perform, but in what Jesus has done for you. You are saved by grace. You are held by grace. You are loved by grace. 🙏 Prayer Father, thank You for the incredible gift of Your grace. Thank You that I don't have to earn my salvation or prove that I am worthy of Your love. Help me to trust You completely and to receive Your grace by faith. When I feel inadequate or discouraged, remind me that my salvation rests not on my performance, but on Jesus and what He has done for me. Teach me to live each day with a grateful heart, loving and serving You because I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ✨ Today’s Reminder “I am saved by grace through faith—not because of what I have done, but because of what Jesus has done for me.”