Admit it. You like reading the Psalms, the Gospels, Paul's epistles and maybe Esther and Ruth.
But what about the least read Bible books -- I call them Orphan Books -- because they almost are never read. Here's a list I found.
Hope you take the challenge to read an "orphan" or two this week.
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# Book Why read it? Difficulty
1 Obadiah A miniature study of pride, injustice, and God's judgment Easy
2 Haggai A surprisingly relevant book about misplaced priorities Easy
3 Philemon Paul, slavery, forgiveness, and Christian brotherhood in 25 verses Easy
4 3 John A fascinating glimpse into early church politics and leadership Easy
5 2 John Truth, love, hospitality—and boundaries Easy
6 Nahum The dark counterpart to Jonah: what happens to Nineveh? Medium
7 Zephaniah Judgment followed by one of the OT's beautiful pictures of God's joy Medium
8 Jude Strange, intense, apocalyptic, and packed with unusual references Medium
9 Habakkuk One of the Bible's best books for wrestling honestly with God Easy
10 Lamentations Biblical poetry about grief, catastrophe, and hope Medium
11 Joel Locusts, the Day of the LORD, and the famous promise about God's Spirit Medium
12 Malachi A surprisingly sharp ending to the Old Testament Easy
The ones I'd especially recommend
If you only want to read five, I'd pick:
Habakkuk — perhaps the most rewarding “orphan.” The entire book is essentially a conversation between a confused believer and God. Habakkuk starts by asking, “Why aren't you doing something about this?” and ends somewhere radically different.
Haggai — extremely short but surprisingly practical. Its central question is basically: What happens when God's people become preoccupied with their own houses while neglecting God's house?
Philemon — don't let its size fool you. It's an extraordinarily compressed little letter about power, status, forgiveness, reconciliation, and what the gospel does to human relationships.
Nahum — read it immediately after Jonah if you can. Jonah tells you that Nineveh repented; Nahum, written later, tells you what eventually happened to Nineveh. Reading them together makes both books considerably more interesting.
Lamentations — probably the most emotionally neglected book on the list. It gives you something the Bible is unusually good at: language for grief when everything has gone terribly wrong.
And here's the really fun challenge
Don't read these as if they're merely the Bible's “B-list.”
Try reading one orphan book a week, with no commentary at first. Just read the entire thing in one sitting.
You'll discover something interesting: some of the books that feel least important at first are actually the ones that illuminate the famous books around them.
Jonah → Nahum
Isaiah/Jeremiah → Lamentations
Romans/Galatians → Habakkuk
1 John → 2 John → 3 John
Ezra/Nehemiah → Haggai

EZEKIEL 36:17 “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived. To me their conduct was as unclean as a woman’s menstrual cloth.

LETS PRAY: OUR DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, WE HUMBLY COME BEFORE YOU BEGGING FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS, WE HAVE WRONGED YOU THROUGH OUR WORDS THOUGHTS AND DEEDS. PLEASE WASH AND CLEANSE US IN THE BLOOD OF YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. PLEASE GUIDE & HELP US TO LIVE RIGHT HOLY SPIRIT, BECAUSE YOU SAID IN YOUR WORD THAT IT IS NOT BY POWER NOR BY MIGHT, BUT IT IS BY YOUR SPIRIT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE PRAY ALL THESE THINGS IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH AMEN 🏿.

Note





The Stick You Write With



When we read the bible,what do we think about? Do we think about the writer being inspired by the Spirit of God? Do we look to the setting it was written in, the culture of the times, etc? Do we look at the style of writing as some scholars teach us to do?

These and more are often taught as the way to read the bible. In more modern education we are taught to think critically and what is being said and written. In other words what can we infer or deduce from the text we are reading?

Questions such as these, more often than not lead to an overly complicated mess of confusion that is sometimes hard to navigate. Complicating the simple way the people of the day actually thought. What is more is that the New Testament was written in Koine ( common Greek).

This Greek as written in the NT is often studied by scholars, pastors and laymen alike, searching for a clearer picture of what the biblical writers were intending. And in this way, we may more accurately discern the truth that God, through His servants, is trying to convey to us, 2,000 years later. Mind you in a culture that is very far removed from the culture it was written in.

In short a lot has happened in 2,000 years, and some ideas just don’t translate well. To make up for this, scholars have tried hard to come up with different and new translations, paraphrases etc, that are everything from absolute trash, to literal word for word hard to read versions of the bible.

Many popular bible translations we read are something of a dynamic equivalent, that’s thought for thought. Others are word for word. And still others are a paraphrase giving the general sense of what is being spoken of. Yet, for all this we seem to lose a little or a lot depending, when we try to bring this all into a culture, language and thought process that is far removed from the original.

So we dig, scholars and laymen alike, dig. We dig into the language it is written in. We find meanings to words, and their roots. Sometimes we look at the society and culture around them and it brings out even more. Yet for all that, it seems we still come up short and we wonder why.

In my own life, the more I dug into some limited Greek studies, the more I saw it was not really going too far, so I stopped looking. I would only look up what I was curious about or led to. If I am honest at times, I would remember my pastor who told me of his friend who was a biblical Greek scholar, who said it really doesn’t do you that much good to know Greek. As I studied I could see that, but why. Aren’t we taught to look into the language? Isn’t that the example that is set by many, if not most pastors and writers of biblical material? Look into the Greek to find the meaning of the words used in the NT, so we can understand a bit better? But its really not helping that much so what am I missing?

What I found was not intentional. I was not looking for it. At all.

I found where Jesus wrote about being the bread of life In John 6:35:

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

In our minds we wonder what that means so we dig. And that is just what I did. I wanted to find out what that meant, exactly. My research led me to the cultural life of the Jewish people. And I found out that they, without a long explanation, knew that Jesus was saying, without bread, you die, you have no life.

That may seem obvious and overly simplistic, yet for a people who lived in the desert, to not have bread and water, was a fact of certain death. Biblically the principle stems back to the time in the wilderness when God supplied bread for them in the form of mana. Again, this may seem obvious, but it’s not something most in western culture know very much about.

We don’t know starvation as a possibility as well as they did then, we don’t know the waterless tracts of land they made their home in for thousands of years. They knew intimately the slow agonizing death by starvation and thirst, in a land where water is a commodity. Unlike us who just go to the faucet or by another water bottle at the nearest grocery store. These things were their reality, unlike ours.

Finding this set me on a journey of sorts to looking into their culture more. As I did I began seeing things that we don’t often talk about. Then one day I realized that almost every NT writer with the exception of Luke was born Jewish. That meant that they came from a Jewish background, culture, traditions and language.

Then I began to wonder how come we are looking at the NT from a western outlook, through the Greek language, when we should possibly be looking at it from a more Hebraic outlook? Why weren’t we looking at what they were saying through the culture, history etc of the person who was speaking it? They knew the language and ideas of the OT far better than we do.

So, again I began digging. What I found was that as a general rule, the Jewish people of that day, had gained some complexity of thought because of outside influences, such as the Babylonian captivity, the Roman occupation etc, they still retained much of their original simplicity and straightforward thinking. In fact, without going too deep in this, most Jewish men at the time had at least some knowledge of the OT scriptures and how they were written and the thoughts behind them. This is due to the fact that they would teach the fathers trade to the children and were required to teach them the word of God as well.

For them, things were relatively simple. Their culture and thought process, at least so far as these things are concerned, was simple compared to the Romans, or Greeks where we in the west get much of our way of thinking.

To see the difference when we describe something, such as a pencil, we say its long, often yellow, with lead or graphite inside, it has an eraser on one end and the other is sharpened to a point so you can write with it. In ancient Hebrew, it’s literally a stick you write with, that is the description.

To us, who habitually over complicate everything, even a bowl of Cheerios, this seems way too simplistic. Truthfully one may be right with that assessment. But that does not negate the fact that they understood things far different than we do.

Now, I am doing more digging. Looking into the Hebrew language and looking at the NT from somewhat of a different angle. What happened is the truth we all see, written within the pages, started taking on a deeper meaning. Instead of looking at the Word through the lens of our culture or even the Greek, I began to see things that way I think the biblical writers were seeing them, and thus seeing the intent of God through them. Regardless of how it was written.

When we look at the bible in this way it seems to take on new life. It doesn’t change the meaning, but deepens it, brings a fuller, more clear revelation, and application to our lives and ministries.




I write my own writing, I do not use AI to write. All my writing is my own and can be scanned for AI content as well as plagiarism.

THE POWER OF UNITY

Together We Are Stronger

ANCHOR SCRIPTURE

Psalm 133:1 (KJV) “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

1. UNITY BRINGS STRENGTH

Unity produces peace, strength and progress.

Where there is unity, there is strength.

2. UNITY DOESN'T MEAN UNIFORMITY

We may have different opinions and gifts, but we can still have one heart and one purpose.

You don't have to agree on everything to walk together.

3. AVOID DIVISION

Pride, gossip, jealousy and unforgiveness destroy relationships.

Proverbs 16:28 (KJV) “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

Don't be the source of division.

4. UNITY ATTRACTS BLESSING

Psalm 133:3 (KJV) “...for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

Where God's people walk in unity, God commands blessing.

5. BE A BUILDER OF UNITY

1. Forgive.
2. Love.
3. Communicate honestly.
4. Pray for others.
5. Promote peace.

KEY LESSON

1. Unity brings strength.
2. Division brings weakness.
3. Forgiveness protects relationships.
4. Love overcomes differences.
5. Unity creates room for blessing.

FINAL CHARGE

Be a bridge, not a wall. Be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker.

Build unity.
Protect relationships.
Walk together in love.

SHORT PRAYER

Father, give me a heart that values unity and peace. Remove pride, jealousy, bitterness and unforgiveness from me. Help me to love, forgive and respect others. Make me a builder of unity wherever I go. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prepared by Rev Frank Fabian Aidoo +233544295158

A NUGGET OF TRUTH
God’s moral law was never intended to define sin for Israel alone.

Paul states plainly:

“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law… these… shew the work of the law written in their hearts.” —Romans 2:14–15

Gentiles could be judged as sinners because the moral standard of God applied to them also. Paul adds:

“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law… for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” —Romans 2:12–13

The law reveals sin:

“By the law is the knowledge of sin.” —Romans 3:20

And sin is not limited to Jews:

“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23

The same God justifies both Jew and Gentile through faith:

“Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” —Romans 3:29

And that faith does not abolish His law:

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” —Romans 3:31

The New Testament therefore presents one God, one definition of sin, one gospel, one Saviour, and one moral standard for humanity.

Salvation is not earned by obedience. It is received by grace through faith. But the faith that saves does not erase God’s law—it writes His law upon the heart and produces obedience.

One Saviour. One Gospel. One Moral Law.
One way of salvation for Jew and Gentile.

TEEN MISSIONARIES GET MARRIED AFTER MEETING ON A MISSION TRIP, 24 HOURS LATER THIER LIVES WERE TAKEN.

A Young Christian couple who dedicated their lives to missionary work had just stepped into marriage when their story took a devastating turn.
They met while serving as missionaries in South Africa, both passionate about sharing the Gospel and living out their faith on the mission field.
Their love grew quickly, rooted in their shared calling and devotion to God.
Soon, they were engaged-and believed they were stepping into a lifelong journey of ministry together as husband and wife.
They held a simple courthouse wedding surrounded by close family.
It was a moment of joy, faith, and new beginnings.
But just one day after saying "I do," tragedy struck.
The newlyweds were involved in a fatal car crash, cutting their marriage story down to less than 24 hours.
One passed away at the scene, and the other later died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.
What should have been the start of a lifetime together became a heartbreaking reminder of how fragile life truly is.
Yet even in the sorrow, those who knew them continue to speak of their deep faith and devotion to Jesus.
Their lives may have been short, but their testimony of love for Christ continues to speak.
In the midst of grief, many are reflecting on a deeper biblical truth found in Isaiah 57:1: '
"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout people are taken away, while no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil."

Though their time on earth was brief, their legacy of faith, love for Christ, and missionary devotion continues to speak.

**JESUS IS CALLING TODAY**

Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?

This question from Jesus, in Luke 6:46, needs to touch your heart deeply. We live in a time when much is said about the love of Jesus, about blessing, healing, and prosperity, but little is said about repentance, obedience, and holiness.

It is true that Jesus is love, for those who also love him (Proverbs 8:17), but the same Jesus who said come to me also declared that if you want to follow him, you must deny yourself and take up your cross daily. Following Christ has a cost: dying to sin and living for Jesus. He himself said that whoever loves him keeps his commandments.

I ask you, you who say you are a Christian: are you truly following Jesus, or just using his name?

The Word of God does not call sin a weakness; it calls it sin, and it confronts the attitude of those who claim to be Christian yet live out, day to day, practices such as lying, greed, envy, pride, hatred, adultery, sexual immorality, idolatry, theft, addictions, corruption, slander, and hypocrisy. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6, lists several of these practices. But right after, he reminds us that some of the believers in Corinth had once lived this way, and were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus.

Jesus says to you: repent and turn away from sin.

Jesus told the parable of the rich man who built bigger barns, thinking he had many years ahead, and God said to him: Fool, this very night your soul will be required of you; then who will own what you have prepared?

You may have a house, a car, a job, a good salary, plans but what does it profit you to gain the whole world and lose your soul?

If you are in Jesus Christ, you are a new creation, and the evil one cannot touch you or your household.

The book of Acts 3:19 says: Repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.

Jesus does not look only for those who call him Lord, but for those who follow him and do what he commands, being doers of the word and not hearers only. Your life is short, eternity is real. Do not treat grace as a license to sin, and do not put it off until tomorrow.

If today you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.

MONDAY 24TH AUGUST 2026
IGNITE YOUTH DEVOTIONAL

Topic: Think Before You Decide

Bible Reference
“The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.” Proverbs 14:15 (NKJV)

A Short Story
Daniel was excited when he received a message from an old friend one Monday morning. The friend told him about a business opportunity that could make him a lot of money within a short time. He sent pictures of cars, expensive clothes, and screenshots of people who had supposedly made huge profits from the business. Daniel was immediately interested.

“You should join now,” his friend told him. “If you delay, you will miss the opportunity.”

Daniel did not have much money, but he was tired of struggling. He had watched other young people make progress while he was still trying to find his feet. He began imagining what he would do with the money if the business worked. He could buy a better phone, support his family, and finally stop asking people for help.

That evening, Daniel was ready to transfer his savings. He had already made up his mind when his older brother asked him a simple question.

“Have you checked how the business works?”

Daniel became quiet. He had not checked anything. He had only listened to his friend and looked at the pictures he had been shown.

His brother advised him to slow down and investigate before putting his money into it. Daniel reluctantly agreed. The next day, he searched for information about the company and discovered several complaints from people who had lost money through the same scheme. He also discovered that the pictures his friend had shown him were being used to attract new people.

Daniel was disappointed, but he was grateful that he had not acted quickly.

That experience taught him a lesson he never forgot. Not every opportunity is from God, and not everything that looks good is good for you. Sometimes wisdom is simply knowing when to stop, ask questions, pray, and think before making a decision.

Today's Message
Every young person will make important decisions. You will make decisions about your education, career, business, friendships, relationships, marriage, money, ministry, and the kind of person you want to become. Some decisions may look small at first, but they can affect many years of your life.

The Bible says that a wise person considers his steps. This means you should not allow excitement, pressure, fear, or the desire to impress people to make your decisions for you. You do not have to say yes simply because everyone around you is saying yes.

Some people have entered wrong relationships because they were afraid of being alone. Some have chosen the wrong career because they wanted to impress their friends. Some have lost money because they wanted quick success. Others have made serious mistakes because they acted before asking questions.

Faith does not mean refusing to think. God expects you to pray, seek wisdom, examine your options, and make responsible decisions. You can trust God and still do your homework.

Before you make an important decision, slow down. Ask yourself what the Bible says about it. Pray about it. Seek advice from mature and trustworthy people. Look at the possible consequences. Do not allow temporary excitement to make a permanent decision for you.

A wise decision today can save you from years of regret tomorrow.

What To Do Today
1. Think about one important decision you are currently considering and refuse to rush into it.

2. Pray about it and ask God for wisdom and clear direction.

3. Seek advice from someone mature and trustworthy.

4. Consider the possible consequences before you make your final decision.

Prayer
Lord, give me wisdom to make good decisions. Help me not to be controlled by pressure, fear, excitement, or the desire to please people. Teach me to think carefully, listen to wise counsel, follow Your Word, and choose what will honour You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Daily Challenge
Before making any important decision today, stop for a few minutes and ask yourself three questions: Is it right? Is it wise? What could be the result?

Anthony Ijere
Christian Author and Revivalist

Download Christian Novels by Anthony Ijere at: https://t.me/anthonyijere

Romans 3:

"1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."