LOST IN THE CHURCH [BEING LOST IN CHURCH] Part Eight The Name of Jesus There are many things that are closely associated with the Lord Jesus, and some have even been given His great name. However, people need to understand that these things are not Jesus Himself. Therefore, building one's faith upon such things or worshipping them can be a great deception. Being close to the Lord, or even being called by His great name, does not necessarily mean that something is worthy of our worship. This means that a person can become lost before the Lord—or even become lost in church. Satan spent all his time in the presence of the Lord, enjoying His glory, beauty, and blessings; nevertheless, he fell. Judas Iscariot was privileged to eat at the Lord's table. He heard the profound wisdom and extraordinary words that the prophets of old longed to hear; yet he also perished. This happened because they gave created things the place that belonged to the Lord. The name of Jesus is an extraordinary gift given to the true Church throughout the world for salvation. However, we must understand that Satan has also been permitted to use that very same name on earth for evil purposes and destruction. Therefore, the Church must be extremely careful. Not everyone who mentions the name of Jesus Christ, or identifies themselves by that name, is from God. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is truly a Christian in their heart. Not every institution that bears the name of the Lord has come from God. One of the greatest things I have observed in this world is that the Lord Himself can bless an institution, a church, a person, or a thing without actually dwelling in it. And that is one of the saddest dangers! Remember Ishmael, the son of Abraham. God blessed him even though he was not the one through whom God's covenant purpose would be fulfilled. > Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.” Genesis 17:18–20 And concerning Ishmael, Scripture clearly says that the son of the slave woman will never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. Read Galatians 4:30. The meaning here is that the Lord blessed a person who would nevertheless not inherit eternal life together with the children of God through the covenant represented by Isaac. My brothers and sisters, among the most frightening forms of deception taking place in the Church in these last days is the misuse of the name of Jesus. If a person cannot discern the spirit behind every minister who comes before them, then they are already in serious danger. > “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:5 One of the difficult statements in the Bible that I thought I understood well—but which took me many years to understand properly—is this statement in Matthew 24:5. For a long time, I thought those false ministers would come in His name claiming that they themselves were Christ. But that is not necessarily what the Lord meant. The correct meaning is that these false ministers would come in His name while openly acknowledging that He—Jesus—is the Christ. They would not necessarily claim to be Christ themselves. In simple terms, these false ministers would come into the world confessing that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and they would use the name of Jesus in their ministries, yet they would actually be agents of Satan. Do you see how dangerous that is? What makes it even worse is that we have often interpreted this Scripture incorrectly. But the Lord said, “many will come.” He did not say a few would come. He said many. And notice that He did not say these people would belong to only one particular category—such as prophets, apostles, or miracle workers. Therefore, we should understand that He was warning about many different kinds of ministers: prophets, apostles, teachers, pastors, evangelists, miracle workers and those who do not perform miracles; those leading large churches and those leading small churches, and so on. I say this because there has been a deception among people who think they only need to fear miracle workers, false prophets, large-church leaders, or apostles. But beloved, let me tell you something: in my experience, one of the greatest forms of deception I have seen in the Church is being under a false pastor. And may God help me as I say this! Deception does not exist in only one place. Everyone can be prepared for a particular kind of deception—according to what they believe, what they understand, and what they are looking for. There is no weapon that is always used from a distance. Scripture says: > “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” Matthew 10:36 If you fear today's miracles, false prophets, apostles of anointing oil, and similar things, you are certainly right to be cautious. But understand this: those may be weapons that are too distant for someone like you. Satan, who is full of cunning and deception, a master of lies and the father of much deception, may never use such obvious weapons to trap someone like you. Instead, he may send you a false pastor who performs no miracles at all, someone whose ministry perfectly matches your beliefs, so that you can trust him completely. Then you may gradually be fed false teachings that have no life—teachings that have an outward appearance of godliness and reverence for God, yet are built upon false wisdom that contradicts the power and priorities of the Holy Spirit. That, my brother and sister, is where you can truly become lost. Also understand clearly that the false ministers I am speaking about can be of two kinds. There are those who have consciously made an agreement with Satan and therefore know exactly what they are doing. And there are those who do not even realize that they are false ministers. They themselves have been deceived by false teachings. They are also products of false teachers. Many of these are the religious leaders of our time—the Pharisees of the Pharisees of this generation. And these can be among the most dangerous people, because they were the very kind of religious leaders who even participated in the rejection and crucifixion of the Lord. Therefore, submitting yourself blindly to such ministers is a truly frightening thing. May Almighty God have mercy on us all. Amen! #ToBeContinued... Mwl. Ernest Nyalula +255752057664 #LostInTheChurch #Discernment #ChristianFaith #TruthOfTheGospel #JesusChrist #SpiritualDiscernment #BiblicalTruth #Christianity #FalseTeaching #KnowTheWord

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am reaching out to your ministry because I desperately need prayer. I have been going through a very deep spiritual struggle, and I feel lost, frightened, and spiritually exhausted. I love Jesus Christ and I sincerely want to follow Him, but I have become deeply afraid about my eternal salvation. Matthew 7:21–23 has been weighing extremely heavily upon me. When I read Jesus' warning about people saying, “Lord, Lord,” but being told that He never knew them, I become terrified that somehow I could be one of those people. I am deeply afraid of hell and of being separated from God forever. I examine my life and see so many weaknesses, failures, sins, inconsistencies, and areas where I struggle. I keep thinking that I am not doing enough, that I am not good enough, or that perhaps God does not truly accept me. Sometimes I struggle to believe that God is truly merciful and gracious toward me. His judgment and holiness can seem so overwhelming that I forget how enormous His love and grace are. I know intellectually that salvation is by grace through faith and not by my own works, but my heart struggles to rest in that truth. I feel as though I am constantly trying to make myself right with God, yet I know I cannot save myself. I need Jesus. I need His mercy. I need His grace. I need His forgiveness. I need the Holy Spirit to transform me. I need to know that I am truly loved and accepted by God through Christ. Please pray that God would take away this overwhelming condemnation and replace it with genuine biblical assurance. Please pray that I would understand Matthew 7:21–23 correctly and not allow fear to destroy my relationship with Jesus. Please pray that I would truly know Jesus—not merely know about Him. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would search my heart, reveal anything that needs to change, lead me into genuine repentance, and give me a deeper love for God. Please pray that I would stop trying to save myself through my own efforts and learn to completely trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Please pray that Romans 8:1 would become deeply rooted in my heart: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Please also pray that I would truly believe the words of Jesus: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” — John 6:37 I don't want to run away from God because I am afraid of Him. I want to run toward Him. I want my relationship with Jesus to become real, deep, genuine, and unshakable. Please pray for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, renewed faith, spiritual discernment, freedom from condemnation, freedom from fear, genuine repentance, and a restored joy in my salvation. Please pray that God would help me surrender everything to Him and trust His character even when my emotions tell me otherwise. I am asking you to please stand with me in prayer. Please pray for my mind, heart, soul, faith, salvation, relationship with Jesus, and my entire life. I especially ask that you pray that I would come to understand the difference between Holy Spirit conviction that draws me toward Christ and condemnation that makes me believe I am hopeless and rejected. I don't want to be a fake Christian. I don't want to merely have religious words. I want to know Jesus Christ personally and sincerely. I want to love Him. I want to follow Him. I want to surrender my life to Him. And I want to spend eternity with Him. Please pray that God would meet me exactly where I am and lead me into a deep assurance that rests not in my ability to be perfect, but in the mercy, grace, righteousness, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to pray for me. May the Lord bless you and everyone in your ministry abundantly for standing in the gap for people who are struggling. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen. With heartfelt gratitude and Christian love, Markus Klinger from London Ontario Canada

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: THE MOST DANGEROUS BELIEVERS ARE NOT THOSE WHO LEAVE THE CHURCH. Theme: Examining the danger of remaining around the things of God while the heart is far from God Scripture: Matthew 7:21–23; Revelation 3:1–3; Luke 18:9–14 Church, let me begin with a statement that may shock you: The most dangerous believer is not always the one who leaves the church. Sometimes, it is the one who remains in the church but leaves Christ in the heart. Some people leave the church physically, and everybody notices. But there are others who remain in the congregation, sing the songs, carry the Bible, attend services, shout “Amen,” give offerings, quote Scriptures—and yet their hearts have slowly moved away from God. They have not left the building, but they have left the Presence. Jesus warned us that there would be people who would say, “Lord, Lord,” and yet He would say, “I never knew you.” — Matthew 7:23. This means church attendance is not the same thing as spiritual transformation. You can sit in church and still be far from God. You can know Christian language and not know Christ. You can serve in a department and secretly serve your flesh. You can have a title without having a testimony. The question is not merely: “Am I in church?” The deeper question is: “Is Christ truly ruling my life?” KEY BIBLE VERSES. 1. Matthew 7:21–23 — “Lord, Lord” Jesus said: «“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…”» Notice something frightening: these people called Jesus “Lord.” They knew the language of faith. They even claimed to have done mighty works. Yet Jesus said, “I never knew you.” Spiritual lesson: It is possible to be familiar with the things of God without having a genuine relationship with God. Church activity cannot replace spiritual intimacy. 2. Revelation 3:1 — “You have a name that you are alive” Jesus told the church at Sardis: «“Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”» What a frightening diagnosis! The church had a reputation for being alive, but Jesus saw something different. People saw activity. Jesus saw the heart. People saw the appearance. Jesus saw the condition. Spiritual lesson: God is more interested in who you are privately than who you appear to be publicly. 3. Isaiah 29:13 «“This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me; but have removed their heart far from me.”» Their lips were close. Their hearts were far away. This is the danger of religious appearance without genuine surrender. 5 TYPES OF DANGEROUS BELIEVERS 1. THE BELIEVER WHO KNOWS SCRIPTURE BUT REFUSES TO OBEY IT There is a difference between knowing God's Word and living God's Word. James 1:22 says: «“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only…”» Some believers can explain forgiveness but refuse to forgive. They can preach holiness but live carelessly. They can quote Scripture but manipulate people. They know what God says, but they have decided to obey themselves. Deep insight: Information without transformation can produce religious pride. The devil does not necessarily fear a Christian who knows many Bible verses. He fears the Christian who believes, obeys, and lives the Word. 2. THE BELIEVER WHO HAS A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT NO POWER 2 Timothy 3:5 speaks about people: «“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”» A form is an outward appearance. It looks right. It sounds right. But something is missing inside. You can dress like a Christian. Talk like a Christian. Post Christian messages. Attend Christian programs. And still refuse to surrender your character to Christ. Ask yourself: What happens to my Christianity when nobody is watching? That is where genuine Christianity is tested. Your secret life is a better measurement of your spiritual condition than your public reputation. 3. THE BELIEVER WHO HAS BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH SIN One of the most dangerous conditions is not falling into sin accidentally. It is becoming comfortable with sin deliberately. The believer begins by saying: «“It is only once.”» Then: «“Everybody is doing it.”» Then: «“God understands.”» Eventually, the conscience becomes quiet. Romans 6:1–2 warns against continuing in sin because grace abounds. Deep spiritual truth: Grace is not permission to remain in sin. Grace is God's power to bring us out of sin. If something is destroying your relationship with God, don't defend it. Repent from it. 4. THE BELIEVER WHO LOVES THE CHURCH BUT DOES NOT LOVE CHRIST This may sound strange, but it happens. Someone can love: - The choir - The pastor - The church building - Christian conferences - Christian music - Christian social media - Christian friendships …but fail to love Jesus with all their heart. Jesus told the church at Ephesus: «“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” — Revelation 2:4» They were working. They were enduring. They were doctrinally discerning. But they had lost their first love. Important lesson: You can be busy doing things for Jesus while becoming distant from Jesus. Don't allow ministry to replace relationship. Don't allow your assignment to replace intimacy. Don't allow the work of God to become more important than the God of the work. 5. THE BELIEVER WHO REFUSES CORRECTION A dangerous believer is one who cannot be corrected. When the pastor preaches against something they are doing, they become angry. When a mature Christian warns them, they say: «“Don't judge me.”» When Scripture confronts their lifestyle, they look for another interpretation. Proverbs 12:1 says: «“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”» Spiritual maturity means: I am willing to be corrected because I want to become more like Christ. A person who cannot receive correction will eventually become a prisoner of their own deception. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: JUDAS ISCARIOT Judas is one of the most sobering examples in Scripture. Judas walked with Jesus. He heard Jesus teach. He witnessed miracles. He traveled with the disciples. He was part of the ministry. He was close enough to Jesus to call Him Master. Yet Judas eventually betrayed Him. This teaches us something frightening: Being close to spiritual things does not automatically mean your heart belongs to God. You can be around anointed people and remain unchanged. You can witness miracles and still struggle with unbelief. You can carry a Bible and still carry bitterness. You can occupy a position and lose your spiritual condition. But there is hope. Peter also failed Jesus. The difference was that Peter returned in repentance. Judas allowed his failure to lead him into destruction. Failure does not have to be the end of your story. Repentance can become the beginning of restoration. PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. EXAMINE YOUR HEART Psalm 139:23–24: «“Search me, O God, and know my heart…”» Don't only ask, “What is wrong with others?” Ask: “Lord, what needs to change in me?” 2. RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE If prayer has become a duty, return. If Bible reading has become routine, return. If worship has become performance, return. If your passion for Christ has disappeared, return. 3. STOP JUSTIFYING WHAT GOD IS ASKING YOU TO REPENT OF Don't rename sin. Don't call disobedience “weakness.” Don't call compromise “wisdom.” Don't call rebellion “freedom.” When God reveals something, respond with repentance. 4. PRACTICE PRIVATE CHRISTIANITY Pray when nobody is watching. Read the Word when nobody is applauding. Give when nobody knows. Forgive when nobody forces you. Serve when nobody celebrates you. What you do privately reveals what you truly value. 5. STAY TEACHABLE Allow God's Word to correct you. Allow mature believers to challenge you. Allow the Holy Spirit to convict you. A heart that can still be corrected is a heart that can still be transformed. DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS 1. PROXIMITY TO HOLY THINGS DOES NOT GUARANTEE HOLINESS. Judas was close to Jesus physically, but his heart was not surrendered. 2. RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY CAN HIDE SPIRITUAL DECLINE. A person can become busier in church while becoming colder toward God. 3. GOD LOOKS BEYOND THE PLATFORM. People may see your preaching. God sees your private life. People hear your words. God knows your motives. 4. THE GREATEST DANGER IS SELF-DECEPTION. A sinner who knows he is lost may seek help. But someone who is lost and believes he is spiritually healthy may never seek rescue. 5. JESUS DOES NOT ONLY WANT YOUR CHURCH ATTENDANCE. He wants your heart. He wants your character. He wants your obedience. He wants your entire life. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. Am I following Jesus or merely following Christian activities? 2. Does my private life agree with my public confession? 3. Is there any sin I have become comfortable with? 4. Can I receive correction without becoming offended? 5. Have I lost my first love for Christ? 6. Am I more concerned about what people think about me than what God thinks about me? 7. If Jesus examined my heart today, what would He find? POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. Father, search my heart and expose everything in me that is not pleasing to You, in Jesus' name. 2. Lord Jesus, deliver me from religious appearance without spiritual reality. 3. Father, restore my first love for You. Let my passion for Christ become stronger again. 4. Lord, give me grace to obey Your Word, not merely hear it. 5. Every spirit of hypocrisy and self-deception, be broken over my life, in Jesus' name. 6. Father, give me a heart that receives correction and grows in wisdom. 7. Lord, let my private life and public testimony agree. 8. Holy Spirit, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. 9. Father, keep me faithful to Christ until the end of my journey. CALL TO ACTION Beloved, don't leave this message thinking about another believer. Think about yourself. Don't ask: «“Who in my church needs to hear this?”» Ask: «“Lord, what are You saying to me?”» The goal of Christianity is not simply to remain in church. The goal is to remain in Christ. Jesus said in John 15:4: «“Abide in me, and I in you.”» Don't just carry the name Christian. Carry Christ in your heart. Don't just attend church. Become the church wherever you go. Don't just quote the Word. Live the Word. Don't just raise your hands in worship. Surrender your heart in obedience. And don't wait until you stand before Jesus to discover that you were close to church but far from Christ. TODAY, RETURN TO JESUS. Return to your first love. Return to prayer. Return to the Word. Return to holiness. Return to obedience. Return to genuine fellowship with Christ. The greatest question is not, “Did I attend church?” It is: “DOES JESUS TRULY KNOW ME?” May we never be believers who merely look alive. May we be believers who are truly alive in Christ. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. FINAL DECLARATION I will not merely look like a Christian; I will live for Christ. I will not only hear God's Word; I will obey it. I will not hide behind religious activity; I will pursue genuine relationship with Jesus. My heart belongs to Christ, my life belongs to Christ, and my future belongs to Christ. In Jesus' name. Amen. Give your life to Jesus by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my sela/Amazon shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks https://afrikdp.com/author/umohedem-9128 CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com

Hello, I would like to share with you the message from 25 août 2026 from “The Good Seed” daily calendar. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realised that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13) “They are truly wearing his cloak!” Jakov, a preacher of the gospel, once came to a village in Eastern Europe. There he met an elderly man named Cimmerman, who had suffered much injustice from religious people throughout his life. When Jakov wanted to tell him about his faith in Jesus, Cimmerman immediately interrupted him and recounted all the evil that these people had done in his town under the guise of their faith. After the old man finished speaking, Jakov said to him, “Imagine if I were to steal your cloak, put it on, and rob a bank. The police only see me fleeing from a distance but they catch hold of your cloak. They track you down as the owner and accuse you. What would you say?” “I would say it’s not true,” replied Cimmerman. “But the police have a strong argument,” Jakov retorted. “They will inevitably bring it up when accusing you, because they have your cloak!”  The old man had nothing more to say about this story, and so he demanded the evangelist to leave his house. However, Jakov didn’t give up. He continued to visit him to testify to him about the love of Christ.  One day, Cimmerman asked his visitor how a person becomes a Christian. Jakov explained to him that he must confess his sins and believe in Jesus, who gave His life to save us.  Then the old man knelt down, bowed his head, and prayed for the first time. When he rose again, he embraced Jakov and said, “Thank you for coming into my life.” And pointing his finger to heaven, he added, “You are truly wearing His cloak, the cloak of Christ!” Today’s reading: Joshua 24:6-15 – 1 Corinthians 16:1-9

The Importance of NOT Knowing Yahwah Exodus 9:16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. • One of the greatest hinderances of knowing Yahwah is knowing Yahwah! • Most believers will tell you that they know Yahwah o Job 36:26 Behold, YHWH is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. • Most religious people will tell you the same thing. Why? Because they think they know Yahwah and so they think they don’t have to know him anymore! (They already know all there is to know) o Ps 145:3 Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. o Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of YHWH! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! • The first title used for Yahwah in the Scriptures is Elohim (God in the KJV version) • This is a mystery word be because it is both singular and plural • Singular because Yahwah is one Elohim • Plural because there is always more to Yahwah o Always more to Him o Always more of Him to know • Do you want to know why we will be in Heaven for eternity? Because that’s how long it will take for us to know Yahwah! • Make your aim to Know Yahwah more then you ever have before! o Phil 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; o Ps 42:1-2 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O YHWH.My soul thirsteth for YHWH, for the living Elohim: when shall I come and appear before YHWH? o Mark 10:14-15 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of YHWH. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of YHWH as a little child, he shall not enter therein. • Seek Him, learn of Him o Isa 55:6 Seek ye YHWH while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: • Go deeper and farther for the one who truly knows Yahwah is the one who knows they don’t even know the half of Him! o Job 5:8-11 I would seek unto YHWH, and unto YHWH would I commit my cause: Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety. • Press on today into the joy and wonder of those who can say “That I might know Him”, that is Yahwah! o Eph 3:8-9 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Messiah; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in YHWH, who created all things by YHWHMessiah:

In a word, the denominational system has fragmented the one body of Christ by religious partisanship. It has alienated the family of God into separate tribes. It has disintegrated the fabric of our spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood into an endless morass of religious parties. It has fractured the fellowship of God’s people. It has slashed the body of Christ into pieces. It has carved the church into splintered fragments. It has spawned thousands of warring clans out of the one family of Christ. (Shockingly, there are more than thirty-three thousand Christian denominations on the planet today.) In a word, the contemporary denominational morass has polluted the Christian landscape.

The things the Lord have against us. Revelation 2 [KJV] [vs: 14] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. These verse reveals to us that though the Lord is always glad of some good things we have done there may some areas in our life which he is not happy with, we should not be content in the areas we are doing well but should strive to be sound in all areas of our spiritual life. "What are the areas that Christ is not happy with the pergamos church? 1,torerance of false prophets and teachers. 2, permission of false doctrines .  3, accepting practices that became stumbbling blocks among them  4, eating things sacrificed to idols  5, prevailing acts of fornication. From all these we understand that when any church or individual begins to allow false prophets and teachers and their teachings the results will be backsliding and sins there is a strong connection between false doctrines and a lifestyle of sin. *Any doctrine that downplays sin, make sin less serious than it is, excuses sin, make people to fear  not God's judgement against sin, teaches that grace covers our sinful lifestyle is a false doctrine. False teachers being religious secret sinners can only lead the people that hears them to error,  sin and damnation.  Application: We should not hear , believes or follow those that teaches any doctrine that contradicts the biblical truths . 23 August 2026

Righteousness That Comes from God These days, we are meditating on the Gospel of Matthew, especially the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches His disciples the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. After teaching them to let their light shine before others so that people may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven, Jesus explains the true meaning of righteousness and obedience to God’s Law. Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). He came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill its purpose and reveal its deepest meaning. The heart of God’s Law is love: love for God and love for others. Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His time because the scribes and Pharisees often emphasized outward religious practices while neglecting the condition of the heart. They had developed human traditions that sometimes replaced God’s commandments. Jesus asked, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3). The Law is holy because God is holy. The Ten Commandments reveal God’s character and help us understand what sin is. However, the Law cannot save us. Instead, it reveals our sin and shows us our need for a Savior. It leads us to recognize our need for God’s mercy, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” The scribes and Pharisees practiced righteousness outwardly, often seeking recognition and honor from people. Jesus warned, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them” (Matthew 6:1). Their righteousness was based on self-righteousness rather than a transformed heart. Therefore, Jesus declared, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). True righteousness is not merely outward behavior; it comes from a heart transformed by God through faith in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus calls us to be poor in spirit—to recognize our spiritual need and humbly come to Him. May our righteousness never be hypocritical or self-made, but may it be the righteousness God gives through Jesus Christ. Let us love God, love people, walk humbly, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts. May God bless you.

SPEAKING HIS MIND...... A Wake-Up Call to Every Believer By Apostle Jeremiah Nyamvura Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:14-22 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." — Revelation 3:22 DEVOTION: WHEN GOD SPEAKS, THE CHURCH MUST LISTEN There are moments in history when God does not only want to comfort His people; He wants to correct, awaken, and redirect them. We are living in days where many voices are competing for the attention of believers — the voice of culture, the voice of human wisdom, the voice of materialism, and the voice of personal desires. Yet above all these voices, there is still a voice that must be heard: the voice of God. God is speaking His mind in these days. He is calling His people back to prayer. He is calling His people back to holiness. He is calling His people back to truth. He is calling His people back to a genuine relationship with Him. The greatest danger facing believers today is not only persecution from outside the church, but spiritual blindness within the church. A person can be surrounded by spiritual activities and still lose sensitivity to the voice of God. Jesus warned the church of Laodicea that they had become lukewarm. They thought they were rich, successful, and in need of nothing, but spiritually they were poor, blind, and naked. This is a powerful warning for our generation: we must never measure spiritual health by outward appearance, popularity, wealth, or human approval. God is looking for hearts that are surrendered. A CALL TO WAKE UP Romans 13:11 says: "It is time to wake up from your sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." This is a divine alarm ringing over the body of Christ. Many believers have become comfortable when they should be watchful. Many have become distracted when they should be focused. Many have become silent when they should be declaring the truth of God. The enemy does not always destroy faith through open attacks; sometimes he destroys faith through gradual compromise. Little by little, prayer becomes less important. The Word of God becomes less valued. Sin becomes acceptable. The fear of God becomes forgotten. But today, God is calling His people to arise. GOD IS RESTORING TRUE WORSHIP The days we are living in require believers who do not only speak about God but walk with God. God is not impressed by religious performance without obedience. He is not looking for crowds without commitment. He is not looking for people who only seek His blessings but refuse His correction. True worship begins when our hearts are completely surrendered to Him. Jesus said in John 4:23: "The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth." The world needs believers who carry the presence of God. Families need believers who demonstrate Christ-like character. Communities need believers who are examples of righteousness and love. DO NOT LOSE YOUR SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned that deception would increase in the last days. This means every believer must grow in spiritual maturity and discernment. Not everything that looks spiritual is from God. Not every voice that mentions God represents God. Not every opportunity is a divine opportunity. We must return to the Word of God, because the Word gives us direction, correction, and protection. A MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH TODAY Beloved believer, this is the hour to examine your heart. Ask yourself: - Am I still passionate about the things of God? - Has my love for Christ grown stronger or weaker? - Am I seeking God or only seeking what God can give me? - Am I living as a light in a dark world? God is not calling us to fear the days ahead; He is calling us to prepare for them. A prepared believer will not be shaken by confusion. A praying believer will not be overcome by fear. A believer rooted in Christ will stand when everything else is changing. PRAYER Father, open our spiritual ears so that we may hear Your voice clearly. Remove every distraction that has taken our attention away from You. Restore our hunger for Your Word, our passion for prayer, and our desire for holiness. Help us to be faithful witnesses in these last days. Let our lives reflect Christ wherever we go. Wake up Your church and prepare us for the coming of Your Kingdom. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen. "The greatest need of this generation is not more noise; it is a people who can hear the voice of God." — Apostle Jeremiah Nyamvura- Voice in the Wilderness @ Pointing you to Jesus Christ. +263 772 808 580

Daily devotion for August 24th Real Heroes And Real Life These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua Nehemiah 12:1a This takes us back to the heroes of the past. Zerubbabel led the first return from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem in 538 BC, almost one hundred years earlier than Nehemiah's day. Nehemiah is looking back at these men who led that procession. Zerubbabel was a priest, and Jeshua was a Levite. They led a company of Israelites back to the city of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Verse 7 says that they were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. Verses 22-26 give the chronological time when the records that we have just looked at were recorded. The passage does not sound very interesting, but we are told that for the first group, the family heads of the Levites... were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. That meant that there was a time when their names were kept as temple records, but they were not actually recorded permanently until the days of Darius the Second. This would put that record somewhere between 423 and 404 BC, somewhat later than Nehemiah. Evidently some later hand added this so that we might know when it was written. Then there is another mention in verse 23 of the book of the annals, meaning the annals of the kings of Judah. One of them is especially mentioned in the reference to David, the man of God. What a remarkable influence David had! F. B. Meyer says, How long the influence of David has lingered over the world, like the afterglow of a sunset. Yet David had a terrible record of evil in his life. He fell into adultery with Bathsheba and was involved in the murder of her husband. Because his heart was set on God, however, and he took advantage of God's provision for forgiveness, David is known to history as the man after God's own heart. The passage teaches us that we must not forget past heroes, the men and women of fame and glory whom God has used in former days. I have been reading again the writings of some of my early spiritual heroes. I would urge you, on the basis of a passage like this, to read biography! It will bless you. It will challenge you and strengthen you to see how God has used men and women of the past to stand against the temptations and pressures of the world and accomplish much for His glory. This passage also teaches us that the deeds of God are part of the record of history. That is one of the great advantages of Christianity over all the other religions of the world. Most of them are religious philosophies or simply the musings of men meditating upon various aspects of life. Many of them are a record of visions and dreams of dubious origin. But when you come to the record of the Bible, it is based upon facts. It is not legend, myth, or fiction. It is not a record of philosophies or the inventions of humans. It is made up of historic facts. God grounds these great events in the history of the world itself. Lord thank You for the lessons I can learn from those who have served You in the past and for the very real facts of history, which teach me so much about You.