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Rev Enoch Thompson | April 5, 2023 | Matthew 26:20-25 KEY VERSE: Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." Matthew 26:25 (NIV) MESSAGE: The treachery of the human soul in the grips of sin was demonstrated abundantly in the events of Holy Week, so well as to make the gruesome sacrifice of the Lord in the offer of His sinless blood for our atonement understandable. Yesterday’s reflections showed us how evil a thief can be, as to be part of the Jesus Team, to steal from the Jesus Fund, to criticise the good done to Jesus and then conspire to sell the Team Leader Jesus. As if all of that was not enough, we are today confronted with something to shock us further. The Lord Jesus Christ did not mince words when He told His disciples "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." Matt 26:21 (NIV). The statement was so painful it instilled sorrow in the hearts of the assembly of followers. Because it sounded so heinous, to think that such a fact was possible among them, and just in case it could be true with any of them the disciples began to seek from the Lord one after the other if perchance it was any of them. Then Judas of all people, with all the thoughts he had harboured about the Saviour, the meeting he had had with the Pharisees, and his agreement to collect money to betray the Saviour also comes up with, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" What was happening with Judas here? We may learn a few things from Judas and his shocking question to the Lord. It is possible that Judas was deliberately lying because one sin needs another sin to cover it up, and so he was covering treachery with lies. It was also possible that Judas was joining the chorus of the disciples in order to fit into the niceness of the company. Most worryingly it is also possible that Judas was taken over so much by the sin in his heart that his mind could not accept the fact that he was on the path to such depths of sin, having agreed to place the holy Son of God into the unholy hands of unholy people, in exchange for money! Maybe, Judas was in a state of confusion and denial, and could therefore ask the Lord, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" What blindness and insensitivity make me fail to see my sins? What wretchedness of a dead soul that I betray my Lord without knowing? FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Can we recall any instance of offence to the Lord, maybe not to the extent of selling the Saviour like Judas did, but choosing anything over and above the Lord Jesus? That must be shocking to the Lord, but should be more shocking to us, in view of all the Lord has done for us. May we come to the Lord in confession and receive grace to travel the rest of the journey. PRAYER: Dear Lord, my mouth is shut, and my heart is broken, I am in shock and cannot believe that I have often sold you out for money, for fame, for human acceptance, for as little as nothing. My mind cannot understand how I ever choose to go against you in little and big things. Please forgive me, and help me to think right, believe right and live right. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | April 4, 2023 | Matthew 26:14-16 KEY VERSE: From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26:16 (NIV) MESSAGE: It has been said in a Ghanaian proverb that the smelliness of the vulture was with it before it was hatched from its mother’s egg. The essence of the proverb is that when people are evil it is something that is a part of them by nature. Though there are other people in the Bible by the name Judas, one Judas, Judas Iscariot, has gained a well-noted bad name as “the one who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ.” Immediately following the anointing at Bethany from yesterday’s reflection, we see Judas stepping out to literally sell the Master to His enemies. The immediate manner in which the section for today follows the anointing event gives the impression that Judas was reacting to the apparent waste of the perfume poured on the Lord. In fact, John’s Gospel links the two: “⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. " John 12:4-5 (NIV). The real reason for Judas’ reaction is given in John 12:6: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” Judas was a thief, and he covered his thievery in the garment of a concern for the poor. Judas stole from whatever was in the coffers of the Jesus Team, and with the money that would have come into the coffers with the sale of the perfume and the deposit of a year’s wages under his control, Judas would have had the opportunity to steal more. But now, that opportunity was lost, and he had to find new ways to get more money. Now he would sell the Master Himself. Judas had the opportunity to deal with his sin. I can imagine moments when just before or immediately after Judas had taken money from the Team coffers the Lord had given him a convicting eye contact as He did with Peter. Even at the Last Supper Judas would be given opportunity to turn from evil and pursue the right path. But he was a smelly vulture and must keep smelling. His little sins must grow to bigger sins. What a disaster for the human soul! FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Let’s look into our individual souls and see if there are lurking elements of sin that seek to rule our life. There are signs we could see, traces of anger, bitterness, gossip, lies, pride, a judgmental spirit, something that seeks to move us to the dark realms and to make us disregard the Master, and where possible make us betray Him. Let’s repent today, with tears and a determination to never succumb to them again. PRAYER: Dear Saviour and King Jesus, my Lord, I come with a repentant heart confessing the sinfulness that lurks in my soul and often overtakes my holy calling. I seek forgiveness and pledged with your help to never yield to the evil that crouches at my door. Please help me break from evil and to submit fully to you. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | APRIL 3, 2023 | Matthew 26:1-13 KEY VERSE: ¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Matthew 26:12-13 (NIV) MESSAGE: Someone has said that the reason why we give so many flowers to the dead is that we have a sense of guilt that we did not give them any flowers while they were alive, and so we seek to make up for that failure. There’s a lot of sense in that statement. People who have lost loved ones in many cases have a sense of guilt because they did not visit them enough, call them enough, give to them enough or generally, show them love enough. Our reflection today is an invitation to do for the Lord and humanity all the good we could, now, while we have the time and opportunity. A woman, identified as Mary by John’s Gospel (John 12:3), came to the Lord while He sat at table in Bethany, broke an expensive jar of perfume and poured it on the Lord. The disciples of the Lord and the people present raised concerns about why that expense had been made when the money from the sale of the perfume could have taken care of the poor (we are told it was worth a year’s wages). The response of the Lord was: “¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:12-13), NIV. Was the Lord promoting a wasteful way of life? Certainly not, the Lord was not a wasteful person. Do you remember the miracles of the multiplication of bread, and the command to pick up the pieces, and for nothing to be wasted? We must not be wasteful. He was only indicating that certain necessary expenses must be attended to, especially in the fulfilment of the mission for the salvation of human souls. He endorsed the action of Mary for some of the following reasons. Firstly, the sacrifice of Heaven in sending the Saviour makes any sacrifice we make on earth pale into insignificance: He had come from His throne in Heaven to accomplish the most important feat for the redemption and wellbeing of the human race. In the light of that sacrifice, the gesture of Mary was insignificant. Secondly, His mission was for a specified time frame, and as we saw yesterday, the events to bring about our salvation were being enacted according to the prophecies to demonstrate to the Jews that this was the Messiah. He was to go to the cross and die hurriedly, and there would not be time to do for Him all the ceremonies that accompany the burial customs. Therefore the action of Mary was a pre-emptive one, she prepared the living body of the Lord for His soon burial when He would have overcome our sins and Satan by the cross. Thirdly any action to move ahead the agenda of God must not be stopped because there are human needs, for human needs will never be fully provided for until the restoration of all things in the new Heavens and the new Earth. Mary, the woman who anointed the Lord in Bethany, in the week He was to go to the cross, has been remembered up to today with every telling of the Holy Week narratives, just as the Lord promised. What we do for the Master, if not valued and applauded by humans, will receive the approval of Heaven, and our rewards will not be missing. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: What do you feel led by God to do, now, for His glory and the advancement of the Kingdom? Now is the time to change mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours that do not glorify God. Now is the time to break our jars of talents, gifts, time, financial resources, and loving hearts, to serve the Master’s glory. Identify your jars of alabaster, bring them to the Saviour, break them, and anoint the Master, before He comes again. PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I offer my life as a living sacrifice, and pray that you will cleanse me and make me a sweet-smelling perfume that makes people give praise and honour to you. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | April 2, 2023 | Matthew 21:1-17 KEY VERSE: "The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" Matthew 21:9 (NIV) MESSAGE: We shall interrupt our verse by verse reflections in the Gospel of Matthew and pay attention to our celebration of Easter, by following the traditional reflections on the happenings of Holy Week, the records in the Gospels that sum up the events between the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem through the crucifixion and Resurrection. Today the whole Christian world is celebrating the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. The scene is charged with the Lord Himself riding a donkey and a colt, multitudes around the Prophet from Nazareth, clothes thrown on the road and tree branches placed before Him to show welcome and honour to their accepted Messiah. The loud proclamations of the crowds were significant; _"Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (NIV). The people were quoting Psalm 118:25-26, they were acknowledging Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah and their King. Hosanna was a cry for salvation; the crowds were calling for the intervention of the Saviour to deliver them from what they saw as their greatest affliction, their being subject to Roman rule at the time. The Lord did not rebuke their cry for a misguided salvation. And today many are calling ourselves Christian, not because we have come to the Lord to deal with our sin disease but because we seek some solution to some challenges of life. The Lord entertained their welcome and their support because at the higher level He was bringing to pass the eternal plan of God to bring salvation, not only to the Jewish nation and for material comfort, but from the rule of Satan and to people everywhere who would accept His self-sacrifice that He had come into Jerusalem to bring about. The day on which the Lord rode into Jerusalem was the tenth day of the month for the celebration of the Passover, that great reality and picture of deliverance from oppression and misrule in Egypt. The Jews selected the lamb to be sacrificed for the Passover meal on this day, and kept it till the fourteenth day when it was slaughtered (Exodus 12:1-7). Whatever else was happening politically and socially God was making an eternal spiritual declaration, a public declaration that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Lamb of God who was to fulfil the essence of the Jewish Passover lamb, by being selected and presented this day, to be sacrificed by the fifth day of that week. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem aroused different emotions in different people at the time. But for us and for all generations thereafter, we must see and appreciate what was done for us, the Lamb of God was set apart to shed His blood, willingly, for our new Passover. Hosanna! Behold the Lamb of God!! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!!! FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Celebrate the exactness of the fulfilment of God’s promises which brought about our salvation in the Lamb of God so graciously provided for us. Sing Hosanna with meaning, salvation from the rule of Satan and sin, and then salvation from all that afflicts us. PRAYER: Lamb of God, the King who dies for His people’s sins, thank you for the great free offer of your sinless self to stand in my sinful place. I cry “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.” Now and always to worship you, For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | April 1, 2023 | Matthew 11:1-6 KEY VERSE: . . . ."Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Matthew 11:3 (NIV) MESSAGE: Identity is key in every matter. You want to be sure that the person sitting in the doctor’s seat in the consulting room, when you go for your check-up, is the trained and qualified person who is supposed to be in that seat to look after you. I heard the story once of an Accra-bound public transport from Kumasi. At the rest stop along the way the driver stepped out and went to the washroom. A mentally challenged person in the vicinity, who was a driver in his normal life, walked into the driver’s seat, drove the passengers to Accra and walked away. Thank God the passengers got to their destination, but the story could have ended differently, because of a wrong identity at the wheels. John the Baptist had strong convictions about the Lord Jesus Christ as the One that was to be the Saviour of Israel, and of course of the whole of humanity, the Messiah. At the special encounter before John was born (Luke 1:41) and at the baptism of the Lord Jesus in Jordan, John received the attestation that the man of Galilee, Jesus, was the Messiah. John publicly announced that Jesus of Nazareth was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29-36), to the end that some of his disciples left him to follow the Lord. However, with the passage of time after the arrest of John, with nothing miraculous from the Lord Jesus happening to secure his release, or to punish the evil that was taking over the nation of Israel, John began to doubt if he had concluded wrongly, and sent his disciples to ask the question of Christ, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Matthew 11:3 (NIV). We must ask that question about the Lord Jesus Christ today. For it is dangerous to commit our eternal souls to following a fake Messiah. We must be assured that the One we follow in the Holy week ahead, carrying our own crosses is the eternal One who has come like He promised to set us free, and lead us through this life to our eternal abode in a place He has prepared for us. The testimony of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, the record of the life of the historical Jesus and its fulfilment of prophecies made centuries before, the person, teachings and works of the holy person Jesus all say that Jesus is the Christ. The witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit in true believers, the reactions and responses of demons in obedience to the Name of Jesus, and the transformation and elevation we experience by the Name Jesus, all conspire to announce the verdict, JESUS OF NAZARETH IS THE LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH, THE ONE ANOINTED TO SAVE HUMANITY FROM SIN AND THE POWER OF SATAN! FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Settle the question once and for all about whether Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the God-Man, the Messiah announced from of old. Yes, He is, and resoundingly so. Hold Him out as your Saviour and Master, always. PRAYER: Dear Messiah Jesus, Anointed One of Israel, God Himself identifying with His fallen creatures. I own you as my eternal King and commit to walk in your Word and in your Spirit. Anointed One, anoint me to represent you truly while I go through this world. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | MARCH 31, 2023 | Matthew 10:40-42 KEY VERSE: Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. Matthew 10:41 (NIV) MESSAGE: Ambassadors of kingdoms and nations represent their kings and national leaders, and whatever is done to them is seen as something done to their sending powers. In the concluding sections of this extensive teaching on the persecution that the Apostles, and by extension all believers will face because of their identification with and commitment to Christ, the Lord gives an assuring principle that should encourage all believers in our forward march: “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.” Matthew 10:41 (NIV). This assurance is that when we reach out in the Name of the Lord Jesus, we have His companionship and His blessings. People who do good to us, because we are His children, His agents serving His purpose, will receive the blessing of our God and King. Our reception of Christ is understood as we are receiving the Father who sent Him. It means receiving everything that the infinite all-powerful loving heavenly Father is. It means having God come into residence in our hearts with all His attendant advantages, blessings on earth and life forevermore! When we welcome people based on their identification with Christ, and not on class, ethnic, financial standing or other such superficial bases, we court the blessings of God. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Step out into the world knowing that you have the backing of Heaven. Touch people with the love and power of your Heavenly Father. How do you receive and treat Pastors, missionaries and other agents of the Kingdom who come your way? PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, I am grateful that you assure me of your presence with me For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | MARCH 30, 2023 | Matthew 10:34-39 KEY VERSE: ³⁷Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38 (NIV) MESSAGE: We understand peace to mean the silent co-existence of people and other creatures in a close physical relationship. The Kingdom of God with all it teaches would have been understood to mean a peaceful Kingdom in that it fitted nicely into the state of things. However, the Lord taught us that His Kingdom was going to be a source of disagreement and divisions, a force to separate close human relations. The call for total allegiance of Kingdom citizens in following the Lord Jesus Christ, and the intensity of transformation it requires will compel believers to be hated by their loved ones and rejected from the natural family bonds. Christians need not become antisocial and impossible to live with, but true discipleship will make believers unfitting in the networks in which they operated very easily in the past. Their unwillingness to worship the previous gods, to participate in the past sins, to tow the line of the past normal, which was worldly passion and the satisfaction of the desires of the flesh. All these will work and make the believer unwelcome and unacceptable. The demand of love to the Lord Christ places the believer in a condition where Christ is to be preferred above all: “³⁷Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37-38 (NIV). We are not called to literally hate our fathers and our mothers or those naturally dear to us. We are called to love the Lord Christ so deeply that in comparison our love for our natural lovers looks like hatred! Christ causes a commitment crisis, a necessary outcome of the intensity of our allegiance to Him. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: Love the King of the Kingdom even over and above your very life. Be ready to separate from natural loves that compete with your commitment to the Lord our Saviour. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I love you more than everything else and everybody else. Help me love you more than my very life. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | MARCH 29, 2023 | Matthew 10:32-33 KEY VERSE: "³²Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV) MESSAGE: One way to avoid being persecuted with the citizens of the Kingdom, those who identify themselves as believers in the message and person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who have become citizens of His Kingdom, who are therefore strangers in this world, and are therefore not part of the world-system, is to deny this identity in the face of opposition. The Apostle Peter was pushed into one such hole when during the arrest leading to the crucifixion of the Lord, while the Lord was being harassed by the shambolic trials in those early hours, he was confronted with his being a disciple of the Lord. For self-preservation, and maybe in the confusion within his mind as to why the Lord was not doing something miraculous to save Himself, Peter denied knowing the Master, let alone belonging to His band of followers. Whenever we are tempted to renounce Christ let us be reminded of what He said: "³²Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. ³³But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33 (NIV). In the matter of our day-to-day life we need representation before the Father in Heaven, and how we relate to Christ and own up to our relationship to Him speaks for or against us in the corridors of Heaven. When it is clear to us, and we make it a matter beyond any shadow of a doubt that we are Christ-followers, He identifies with us in Heaven, at the right hand of the Father, in the place of authority. But let us be warned in very clear terms, that when we shrink from acknowledging the Lord Jesus, He is bound by the natural rule of friendship to disown us, for He cannot be friends with those who shy away from Him before mere mortals. FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE: It is better to lose human companions because we identify with the Lord Jesus Christ than to lose the Lord’s favour because we fear humans and love their favour. Are there ways in which we tend to disown the Lord? Let’s repent. PRAYER: Lord, please forgive me for the times I have denied you. I declare now and hold to it forever, that Jesus Christ is my Saviour and my Master. Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

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!!