Rev Enoch Thompson | MARCH 28, 2023 | Matthew 10:24-31 KEY VERSE: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28 (NIV) MESSAGE: Our encounter with a hostile environment may plant fear in our hearts, and fear is enslaving and depressive. Rather than succumb to fear, the Lord shows us how to survive in the face of our persecutors by not being afraid. The Lord Jesus Himself was called Beelzebub, the chief of the evil spirits, Satan for that matter, by His enemies. The believer is open to insults because we are not above our Master. The insults themselves have the power to cripple and paralyze a person. Calling the dog a bad name makes it easier to hang it. The abuses may lead to physical attacks and even death. But the Christian response to all these threats is to remain strong and unshaken, to be defiant of the agents of fear. We can have this Christian stoic attitude for some good reasons. We can remain unafraid because what human beings can do against us is limited to their power over our bodies, which cannot affect our souls. They may conspire against our promotion, peace, and prosperity in the physical realm and may even kill us physically, but they cannot affect our blessed spiritual communion with God in this life or after they kill us. We can remain unafraid because God is watching over us, and our afflictions are moderated by His loving caring heart. Not even a bird of the air falls to the ground without our Father’s permission. For us, He says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matt 10:30 (NIV). So keep on shouting from the rooftop the things that Christ has planted in us. We are to keep representing Him by our lifestyles, built upon His Word and empowered by His Spirit. Don’t be afraid! FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: When you come face to face with the bare teeth of the wild enemies of your faith, stand your ground and refuse to be afraid. The worst they can do is to only kill your body, they cannot touch the real you, which is the spirit man. God is on your side. You are not alone. Praise the Lord! PRAYER: Lord, help me stay bold and courageous. Help me to trust your keeping. May I never yield to the spirit of fear. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 27, 2023 | Matthew 10:16-23 KEY VERSE: All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matt 10:22 (NIV) MESSAGE: One would very much wonder if at the military training school, the recruits are told that they would have a life of ease in their professional duties. Certainly, that would be a great deception. Indeed, the life of the recruit in training is made as uncomfortable as possible. The food is rationed, sleep is interrupted for drills etc. However, the recruit is prepared to face danger and to win battles. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 10:16-42 informs the Apostles of the dangers that their life of commitment to Him and ministry in His Name would mean. He shows them how they were to respond to the difficulties they would face and points out to them that holding on to the end is necessary for meriting a reward: “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22 (NIV). It is evident that the immediate Apostles of the Lord did not experience much of what is indicated in the portion referred to above during the time Christ was here. It was intended to toughen them, for after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, these factors became more and more their experience. We who entered the Kingdom in the years thereafter have heard of or seen much opposition and attacks upon individuals and churches in various places and in different intensities. It is alarming that in our generation, and in “advanced” countries that stand for freedom of thought and association Christians are being arrested, charged, and imprisoned, for example, for preaching about sin, and against what the Bible calls sinful behaviour. The songwriter expresses these thoughts in the lines, “It’s not an easy road, on our way to Heaven, so many are the thorns on the way, . . . oh no it’s not an easy road.” FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: What are the experiences of your journey so far following the Master? Do not be surprised that discomfort comes your way. The Lord walks with you to grant you safe passage. Make up your mind that you will finish, and please, do finish well. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I follow you with all my heart and all that I have. I have tasted and can affirm that following you is the best choice I could have made. Please help me to bear whatever pain is associated with my following you. Lord, I want to finish well. Thank you for the grace to finish well. For your precious Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 26, 2023 | Matthew 10:10-16 KEY VERSE: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Matt 10:16 (NIV) MESSAGE: It is useful to spend some time to watch documentaries on life in the wild and see how different animal species relate to others. There is so much to be learnt from those scenes. I think the Lord Jesus Christ just gave us one such National Geographic presentations in His instructions to the Twelve that He was sending out: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” That summarizes the dangers of the expedition of the Kingdom person in an unbelieving world, with human society becoming more and more the degenerate beings we are, even when we seem to be advancing in science, knowledge, technology and civilization. The believer in Christ who wants to be an agent of the Kingdom, as we all should, will face vicious opposition. Some of the opposition will be in the area of religious persecution, philosophical attacks, spiritual battles, and translate into antagonism and even physical violence. The gentle spirit of the believer will be surrounded by untamed natural evil in people who will seek to destroy the believer. I have just been following the news of a university professor, in a supposedly Christian university, who has been fired because He expressed biblical views about marriage in a tweet. What should the believer do in the face of this reality? “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” That sums it all up. We must be conscious to deal with the evil around us in ways that will make it difficult if not impossible to have us in their trap. The snake will not be easily captured because it is cautious of its environment, watches before it moves, and listens to its environment to ensure it is not open to danger. At the same time, we must demonstrate the kind gentle nature of the dove. We must be cautious not to plan to or live to hurt other people. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter puts it this way: “¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV). FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Don’t be careless about your precious god-like life. There are wild people inspired by evil spirits who will seek to frustrate your Kingdom lifestyle and divine blessings. Live gently and in a godly manner. In the end, you will be vindicated, even when evil forces team up against you. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for making it clear to me that the Kingdom life and its business is a dangerous path to travel. You never hid these things from us. Please help me to be as wise as a serpent, and to be as gentle as a dove. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 23, 2023 | Matthew 10:5-10 KEY VERSE: As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Matthew 10:7 (NIV) MESSAGE: Jesus Christ came as King to inaugurate His Kingdom on earth. The Kingdom of God is not defined by geography in terms of a fixed land space, nor by politics as in a given earthly constitution governing a particular nation. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual Kingdom by which God rules in the hearts of all humans who accept the reconciling death of Jesus Christ on the cross as God’s provision to redeem us from our sins, with which we were born. In the preaching of John the Baptist, the message went out, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3:2 (NIV). Similarly, the Lord Jesus Christ preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17 (NIV). In the assignment to the Twelve Apostles, the Lord directs them also to preach “'The kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 10:7). It is very clear that the Kingdom of God was central to the message of the Lord and should be the main message of His Church today. The Kingdom of God had been prophesied in the Old Testament, and the Jewish people were awaiting the God-man-King (Messiah) who would bring that Kingdom to reality. The Jewish nation was awaiting the arrival of the Kingdom, and so they were expected to understand the preaching of John, the Lord Jesus, and His Apostles. The Kingdom which was announced as NEAR was inaugurated and came to be HERE when the Lord Jesus sealed His mission by dying on the cross, rising from the dead and sending forth the Holy Spirit to inaugurate the Church on the day of Pentecost. The Kingdom of God has come and is present in all true Christian believers. At the same time, the Kingdom is yet to come, because there is the consummation, the fullest realization of that Kingdom that is still future. Believers in Christ have been glorified but await our future glory when Christ is revealed. For that we pray “. . . your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt 6:10 (NIV). The message we are to believe for ourselves and to take to the world is that the announced Kingdom has become real in our personal lives and that the Kingdom is also to come in its fulness in the future rule of God which will affect all of creation, and when the prophecy will be fulfilled, “³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Rev 21:3-4 (NIV). Hallelujah forevermore! FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are you a citizen of the Kingdom of God? Are you walking in the exciting experience that God is your Father and your King and that Heaven awaits you as the destination and expression of the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom was near, the Kingdom has come, and the Kingdom is coming. Let’s live as a Kingdom-people awaiting a glorious Kingdom. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I celebrate the truth that I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Please help me live like a royal. May I have the hope that looks forward to the future manifestation of the Kingdom. May I be a good representative of my King and lead many others to accept Jesus Christ as the King. For His dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 25, 2023 | Matthew 1:11-16 KEY VERSE: If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. Matthew 10:13 (NIV) MESSAGE: Most people believe in the power of blessings and curses, and the Bible teaches a lot about blessings and curses. The God of the Bible is a God of blessings. His call of Abraham was one of the blessings (Gen. 12:1-3), and Abraham’s sons walked into those blessings. The Christian life is considered in the light of the foregoing; “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Gal 3:14 (NIV). In Deut 28 we have the record of an extensive list of blessings and curses that were to be experienced by the people of Israel. The God of the Bible is a God of blessings, but the blessings of God are not automatic or accidental. God’s blessings work based on conditions that are firmly set by God Himself. Our text today teaches us that the spread of the Good News of the Kingdom of God was to be accompanied with the spread of the Shalom, the peace of God which touches all aspects of human life and brings an added advantage and progress in the lives of people. When the Christ-followers went out they were to proclaim Shalom upon individuals, homes, families, and communities. , However, they were to note that the realisation of the peace of God they spoke was conditioned by the deserving reception of that peace: “If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.” Matt 10:11-16 (NIV). There are many times that we may find ourselves in environments where blessings are spoken by godly agents of God, but we do not benefit from those blessings. Even a “Good morning,” spoken by a godly person carries a divine blessing, but the blessing will be missed if we have mental and spiritual attitudes that reject the blessing. A clearly antagonistic attitude to the preaching of the word of God before salvation or while we have become church members will remove the power of the word to impact us positively. Some have been cursed in their attendance of Christian services, and we must be careful we do not miss the blessings of God too (Acts 5:1-10; 1 Cor. 11:27-33). And for all these rejections of divine blessings, we shall be held accountable by the God who had desired to bless us. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: We need the blessings of God as we live in an evil fallen world where Satan and his agents are at work to undo us. Position yourself in mind, behaviour, and confession to receive and benefit from Kingdom blessings. PRAYER: Dear God of blessings, how I need you and your blessings as I battle out against all that is around me and against me. Please help me to re-orient my thoughts, words, and behaviour, so that your blessings will attach to me and follow me all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 24, 2023 | Matthew 10:5-11 KEY VERSE: Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8 (NIV) MESSAGE: It is commonplace practice in some “church” environments for those attending to have to pay consultation fees, or for preachers to charge inviting churches for the services they offer. Some “church leaders” have refused to attend to the prayer and other spiritual needs of people or have offered their gifts to those who can pay the highest fees. Ministry has become business, the making of profit by the exchange of goods and services. Business thinking is a normal and sometimes natural mode, for most people. People are smart enough to see opportunities for self-profiting by the use of the spiritual resources and gifts they may possess. And when the Lord gave authority to the Twelve to preach the Good News, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to raise the dead, He also foresaw the danger into which they may fall if they were not cautioned not to make a business out of their empowerment and their assignment. Business in itself is not evil, but in the matter of the Kingdom of God and its spread, it is wrong for us to put a price on our ministry services. The principle is that we have received freely of whatever we put back into ministry, and therefore we must give of it freely. While we are all called to pursue the agenda of the Great Commission, there are some who by divine giftings and callings commit themselves to full-time ministry. How would such servants of the Kingdom survive, then? This question was not forgotten by the Master. Kingdom workers must be taken care of by Kingdom resources, but not at a commercial value. Kingdom citizens must support Kingdom workers; "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.” Matt 10:11 (NIV). This principle in practice means that the full-time Kingdom worker must be provided for by committed capable and willing Kingdom finances and financiers. It also means that such workers do not take advantage of their entitlement and become a bother to other people. In fact, in the Gospel according to Luke, there is a prohibition added to the instruction: “Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” Luke 10:7 (NIV). In a modern economy, the principle stands that those who work for the Kingdom on a full-time basis must be provided for sufficiently, so that they can focus on the strenuous tasks of preaching, teaching, healing, caring for souls and generally promoting the Kingdom agenda. Those who give the impression that full-time ministry is not important do not know what it involves and have not understood the biblical provisions for such. Full-time ministry is a serious spiritual business. It is the creation of excellent humans who benefit others in society and bring glory to God. Paul argues, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 1 Cor 9:11 (NIV). (Please read the chapter for further insight). It is the demand of the King of the Kingdom of God, that our work of ministry must be delivered free of charge, while structures are put in place by the Church to ensure that those who spend all their time in serving the Kingdom cause are well taken care of. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are you tempted to commercialize your spiritual gifts? Say no to those temptations. Will you be the voice that speaks up for the full-time workers in your church context about their conditions of service? For all other things, remember that we have freely received from God, and we are to freely give unto other people. PRAYER: Lord, please make me aware of my gifts and talents. Help me engage them for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Please keep me from the sin of making a business out of your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 22, 2023 | Matthew 10:5-6 KEY VERSE: ⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. Matthew 10: 5-6 (NIV) MESSAGE: Christ came for all humans? The text seems to say differently. He seems to have come for only the Jewish people, and that seems to be the reason for the assignment direction that He gave to His Apostles. Well, this is a misunderstanding of the text which comes up if we fail to understand the message of the text and fail to put the text in the larger context of the total Gospel narrative and the rest of the Bible. We need to understand this text so that we can celebrate God’s goodness towards us, whether we are Jews, Samaritans, or Gentiles. Christ came to save all humanity from the rule of Satan and the power of sin leading us to an eternal Hell. Evidently, the Lord Jesus in this assignment specifies the people to whom the Apostles must carry the Gospel. They were not to go among the Samaritans who were a “contaminated” mix of Jews and Gentiles, and the Gentiles of every kind and form. Did it mean that the Lord was not interested in the non-Jews then and now? Certainly not, if we understand the point, He was making. God is strategic in all His ways. In creation, He created the sea before He created fishes. In the new creation, He made Israel a pilot case of the salvation story before expanding it for the entire human race. The Jewish people had been prepared by the Law and the Prophets, and by the promises of God to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to be a special people who will be a servant people of God to the nations. The blessing of all humanity was contained in the blessing of Abraham in his call (Gen. 12:3). The twelve Apostles were chosen as a representative group of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were to take the Gospel to the nation of Israel, for the nation to become the servant of the Lord to take the Gospel to the nations. When Christ came He needed to offer Israel the first right to accept the Gospel as that chosen humanity that had been prepared for the truth that had been enacted daily in the Temple sacrifices. When they rejected the Gospel then it was taken to the nations. The Apostle followed the same tradition. When he went into a city he first looked out for the Jewish synagogue and presented the Gospel to the Jews. When they refused it, he turned to the Gentiles. Salvation was channelled through the Jewish nation, the Saviour, God in human-form was a Jewish man, the first Apostles of the Lord were Jews and the Church started as a Jewish movement. However, we do not need to become Jews to become disciples of Christ. Christ came for all humans, but He needed to use the nation of Israel as His agent in the publishing of the Good News and therefore needed to give them that first right of acceptance of the Kingdom. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Do you realize that God has given you certain privileged roles in some matters of strength, wealth, health, knowledge etc? Do you see these as opportunities to serve God and to be held accountable? Don’t miss out on your providential way and giftings. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that you came for the world, not just Jews, and you came to save all, as many as would believe. I acknowledge you as my Saviour and my King, and I know I am accepted in the Kingdom of God. Please help me to bring other people to the same faith and acceptance. Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 21, 2023 | Matthew 10:1-4 KEY VERSE: He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Matthew 10:1(NIV) MESSAGE: When we were in primary school, we used to sing a song in the local language which translates into the following: You have left home to come to school, For what purpose did you come? If you came to school to learn, Then don’t you be so playful. Do your best oh my dear friend, And work hard and work with joy. I find this childhood song a lifelong song which challenges us to understand the purpose of our every station in life and calls us to be up and doing. Out text today records the commissioning of the Twelve. The names of the individuals given in verses 2 to 4 are those of a selected few among the teeming crowds that followed the Lord. By this time in the Lord’s ministry, it had become clear to all that these Twelve were an inner closer group whose companionship with the Lord Jesus had become a regular feature of His Movement. Loose association and regular attachment must be taken to another level, and this the Master did when He called the Twelve and assigned them specific Kingdom roles. The Twelve was an assortment of individuals from different backgrounds, professions, and temperaments. And yet the Master called them and moulded them into one group around a common assignment. Their assignment is spelt out in verse 1: “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Matt 10:1 (NIV). In summary, they were to become His agents and assistants in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. The mission of destroying the work of Satan and sin in the lives of humans, and to bring them into the liberty of the rule of God in their hearts and in their lives, was demonstrated by the Lord’s teaching of Kingdom principles with divine authority, His miracles of healing, and the casting out of demons. The provision of wine at Cana in Galilee and the feeding of the multitudes were all an announcement that the Kingdom had come. Into this praiseworthy assignment was the Twelve called. And they did their work so well that two thousand years later the Gospel and its positive effects are still advancing across the world. Our reflection today is to ask ourselves whether, in our own minds, we are aware of our calling and our commission in our time and space. We are saved by grace and not by works, and while we do not work to be saved, we are saved to work (Eph. 2:8-10). Our task is to demonstrate the transforming grace and power of God by a new life that reflects the divine nature in us (2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 5:17). By that and by our word of testimony we are to spread the Good News of that same saving grace and introduce Christ to the world. This is the Great Commission, and for that, we were called and saved. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Your Christian calling is not simply for your sake. God does not call us to make us comfortable. He comforts us so we can become His agents in comforting others. When we share the Gospel we are bringing divine comfort to harassed human souls and fulfilling our purpose in our salvation. PRAYER: Lord, please help me to know the purpose of my calling and of my blessings, and to go out there and share Christ accurately. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 20, 2023 | Matthew 9:35-38 KEY VERSE: ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV) MESSAGE: The nations of the world in the course of the first and second World Wars sent out notices to their communities to raise recruits into their armies to implement their war agenda. The battle against the forces of darkness by the Kingdom of Light requires human agents who take instructions from the King of the Kingdom and fight in the trenches of human existence wherever the Lord will send us. As the Lord came to the end of the rounds He had been making in the human wards of affliction in Matthew 8 and 9, He summarises His observations and makes a call for additional workers to accomplish His good intentions for humanity. Could the human condition have been described any better than this: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 (NIV). Then and now, in spite of the advancements in science and technology, and improved economic and material conditions of humans across the globe, human beings are still a helpless, hapless, hopeless set of creatures. We stand in the need of God, everyone of us, and to find meaning in life only in our association with Him and our self-definition in Him. Without Christ any human development, no matter how impressive, cannot free us from the enslavement and control we suffer from the Devil and his fallen kingdom. The Lord has compassion on poor humanity and makes an appeal for prayer by His Kingdom citizens so that more workers are released into the field of the harvest of human souls. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Do you see people as helpless and needing divine intervention, or are you blinded by the apparent sophistication and polishing by externalities that are often a cover-up for groans and moans under the affliction of the evil one? Let us get to prayer to the Lord of the harvest for workers in the ripe fields. Begin to consider yourself as a major part of the answer to your prayers. God needs you to work for Him because you are a beneficiary of His grace. PRAYER: Lord, I repent for the times when I have allowed myself to think that people are alright because they seem alright. May I see and feel the pain and the hurts of people around me, and may I reach out to them with the love and grace of God. Make me a candidate for Kingdom duties. I make myself available for Kingdom duties. For your dear Name’s sake. Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 19, 2023 | Matthew 9:32-34 KEY VERSE: “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons." Matthew 9:33-34 (NIV) MESSAGE: The Lord Jesus Christ continues His rounds of the wards of human pain. In our text today He reaches once again into the human condition of demon-possession with physical consequences, in this case, the affected man could not talk, as a result of the influence of the demons in his life. There are many human conditions described by accurate scientific explanations and the advanced field of psychology, and given medical names, which are only symptoms of underlying spirit-harassment. We have a case right here in our text. But thank God for Kingdom authority in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Thank God that even in twenty-first-century post-modern contexts the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ still breaks satanic bondages. The Name still works deliverance from all kinds of oppression. While we celebrate the healing of the blind man, and like the general population marvel at what God had done in the healing of the man, the knowledgeable Pharisees, stuck in their dislike for this young preacher from Nazareth choose to define the events of the day as the work of Satan. They did not capture the fulfilment before their eyes of the arrival of the Kingdom of God, that their Old Testament writings spoke about. The miracles of the Lord Jesus were the initial manifestations of passages like Isaiah 35. In His response to John’s disciples whether He was the one who was to come, the Saviour, He referred to His miracles as proof of the fact that He was the Messiah who was to come (Matt11:4-6). And yet the leaders of the nation accused Him of being an agent of Satan. Beware of unbelief, caused by hatred, lack of knowledge, following established traditions, and an unwillingness to change. It will rob you of the opportunity to meet the Lord and experience His saving power. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are there factors that are making you unwilling to accept Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world, or as the Master to whom you have to submit your whole life, and to follow unquestionably? Beware of unbelief, turn to the Lord Jesus in faith and total surrender. His miracles and teachings show that He was the Messiah, the God-man who came to restore us to Himself. PRAYER: Lord, if ever I doubted who you are, now I believe. Please help me to believe fully. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 18, 2023 | Matthew 9:27-31 KEY VERSE: As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" Matthew 9:27 (NIV) MESSAGE: It has been said that the worst disaster is to be born with eyes and not see. There are many people today who were born with normal sight and therefore see physically, but they have had their minds so much dulled by sin, Satan and the tantalizing deceptions of this life that they have become insensitive to spiritual truth, and therefore though seeing physically they do not see spiritually. In our text for the day, two blind men follow the Lord as He emerged from restoring the dead girl. They had heard of the fame of the Lord, and believed in Him, so much so that they wanted to have a direct contact with Him and to benefit from His abundant goodness and power. The blind men could “see” because they acknowledged the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was their long-awaited Messiah, the God-man to bring in the deliverance and renewal of their nation. The Messiah was expected to be a descendant of David, and so the term Son of David developed among the Jews. The blind men “saw” the Messiah while the seeing Pharisees and notables were blind. Their blindness was not only bad for themselves but also dangerous for their people who trusted them and followed their views about Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. The two men displayed both faith and knowledge. Their faith brought them to the Lord Jesus (v. 27), they affirmed their faith when questioned about it (v. 28), and their faith was rewarded (vv. 29-30). It is necessary to have faith because it is the currency of the Kingdom, but we must also have sound knowledge as revealed in the Bible. In fact, we are enjoined in 2 Peter 1:5, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;” (NIV). Faith without knowledge can be dangerous in many ways, and there are many who profess faith but lack knowledge. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: The grace and mercies of the Lord are not far away from anyone of us. We need faith to access God’s abundant blessings for us. But we must approach Him on the bases of how He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Do you have a need? Believe in the power and mercy of Jesus our Messiah to hear you, and answer you. See Him for who He truly is, and He will be for you all that He really is. PRAYER: Son of David, who is indeed the Lord of David, my Messiah and my all, I believe in you as my God and Master. I trust that you care about me and want to help me. Please help me to follow you in knowledge, and by faith. For your dear Name’s sake. Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | March 17, 2023 | Matthew 9:18-26 KEY VERSE: After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. Matthew 9:25 (NIV) MESSAGE: Our text for the day presents two of the most beautiful miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ, the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and the bringing back to life of the young girl who died. All around us, there are people who are hurting and who need God’s intervention. Maybe we ourselves are victims of one or another of life’s challenges. We need the help of the Lord, and HE is willing to help, but sometimes the crowds of life tend to get in the way of our search for the intervention of God, and sometimes we are the victims or the causes of these crowd obstructions. The sick woman in her attempt to get to touch the Master was hindered by the crowd. Mark tells us in his account that “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, . . . “ Mark 5:27-28 (NIV). She had to force her way through the crowd. When the Lord arrived in the home of the man whose child had died, He was confronted with another crowd, a flute-playing and noisy crowd. How easily the crowds gather, wherever we find ourselves in life, and how readily the crowds get in the way. The woman had managed to beat the crowd and get her healing, but the crowd at the funeral were standing between the One who is Life Himself and the dead girl. When the Lord tried to let them know that there was hope for the dead girl, the crowd laughed at Him, and will not move out of the way. When the crowd was finally removed the Lord of Life was able to impart freshness of life to the dead girl. Glory be to God! There are crowds and crowds and crowds. The flute players and the noisy crowd will always show up when we face life’s circumstances, invited or uninvited. They seem to fill the gap of life for a lifeless girl and a mourning family. The crowds with their noise, lack of insight and meaningless laughter, must be put outside of our situations for the Master to get in and do His healing and resuscitating work in the human soul and situation. Christ may be in the house (v. 23), but may not have access to the full situation, because He is blocked by the noise and the din of the crowds, the human approach to things. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Are you part of some crowd blocking someone’s blessings? Are there crowds that you must break through or break away from to get the levels of a closer walk you need with the Lord, or even to access your blessings? Are there people, things or attitudes that get in the way of you experiencing the power and reality of God? Please put away the crowds, fast! PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am sorry if I have been the crowd that has stood in the way of someone’s experience with you. Please help me get out of their way. For the crowds that disturb and prevent my experience of you, please help me drive out those that lies in my power, and Lord please chase out those I cannot sack. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!