It is unfortunate that many believers have placed miracles up there. There are NO miracles in Heaven! We ought to walk in the miraculous but NOT be overwhelmed by it, or take it as a MAJOR sign of God. After the fall in Genesis, God described man as but flesh i.e dominated by flesh, and evil . Another thing in the Bible about man is that the devil likes the ways of man. Jesus said that satan savours the things that be of men. But thank God, children of God are not just men, imperfect men, weak men, graceless men. They are NEW creatures, they are godly.
God is holy, we should be. God is love, we should love. Man has envies, strife and divisions, not God. God is light. We should be light to others around us. We should be role models to sinners(rich or poor, famous or infamous). Let's show them the right way boldly, and not be cowered into compromise. God is faithful, we should be. God is merciful. God is truth. God is a Spirit, we should be spiritual i.e dominated by the Spirit, not the mind, never the flesh. God is good. We should walk like God, not like men.

October 6 Hebrews 6v1

1. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God

The christian life is beautiful, a joy to the world. Yet it is a life of growth. One major characteristic of life is growth, a new born baby should grow. It would bring worry and distress if a child remains a baby after years. Growth is expected. Farmers expect their plants to grow. Much more, the Lord of the harvest expects that we grow in eternal life which He has given us as His children. Believers have the life of God, that's what it means to be born again.
O! life can be lost, Adam lost life and we can lose life. Life is precious. It doesn't stop at being born, we need to grow. Today's passage is saying GROW. Let us go on, let's move forward. Climb up to higher ground, that's the desire here.

Let us go on/leave- Don't just watch pastor going, don't just observe the 'other denomination' going. Let us go. No need for rising and falling again. Perfection, maturity. Let us be perfect. How is it that a man wants to build and he keeps laying the foundation. First year foundation, second year foundation, fifth year still foundation, fifteen years and he's laying again the foundation. It's absurd but that's the way many believers live their lives. Laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works.
From today, decide. Purpose in your heart. The principles are good but the time has come to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ. Leave it for the newborn babes. Let us go on to maturity. This is the heart cry of the Lord; completeness, perfection. Do it today. Amen

October 8 Matthew 8v7

7. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Do you remember the sermon on the mount? It's a great sermon. It is also referred to by some, as the Beatitudes. You know what happened after that great sermon? What happened was that Jesus entered into Capernaum. You know what He came to do at Capernaum? He came to take away sickness, He came to deal with the devil in the lives of people. He came to set people free and destroy the works of the devil. He came as a minister of God, a true minister.
The attitude is enchanting, "I will come". That is sacrifice, that is ministry. What many people call ministry today leaves much to be desired. I've heard of people who will not play musical instruments in THEIR OWN church even, except they are payed. They are good at calculations. I want to be good at ministry.

I will come. What of transport fare, what with your schedule Lord, what of time, what of skill and labour acquired to strenuous practice and vigils, and so on and forth? I WILL COME and heal him. Him? I might have been the more impressed if He said 'I will come and heal them'. Some preachers are not even impressed to hear 'them' today. They have to know, how many exactly, what's my gain, will there be chance for collections, what's the share ratio, what part of Capernaum, is it G.R.A, who takes care of my team and my feeding?
But we will follow Jesus Christ. [b]Jesus saith unto him, I WILL come and heal him. He is coming to your Capernaum this weekend. All you need to do is beseech Him to come. He that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Is your own trouble up to leprosy? Have you reached the stage of grievously tormented? Or it is 'just' a fever? Jesus is coming to your Capernaum to destroy every work of the devil, big or small. Only believe.

October 11 Matthew 9v38

38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Our duty is laid clear before us. We should pray to God that He should send labourers, soulwinners, evangelists. When last did you pray about this? It is a command from Christ. It is useful to note that God is already aware of the need, yet it is required that we ask. Even of greater note should be the fact that it is His harvest.
How then is it our business, you'll think He should just sort Himself out? We are members of the same body and joint heirs with Jesus. We are of the same family and what affects the Lord ought to affect us. Nonchalance to evangelism and intercession does not augur well for us as believers. Let us realise that our blood ought to be thicker than water.

Let us mind the same thing, Let's mind the things of Christ, of God. Pray to God that He'll send forth labourers into His harvest. And anytime the harvest comes in, always remember that they are God's harvest, not exclusively yours. We don't win souls to our church or to our branch or to ourselves. They are God's harvest.
Let us add this to our faith, let us intercede and ask for more labourers. That would be praying to God in line with His will, and what gracious answers may we receive.

November 2 Jeremiah 31v3

3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Love is beautiful. Many of us have experienced one form of love or the other. The love of a spouse, the love of a friend, the love of a child. I say 'one form' for there are different kinds of love. We are not expected to love everything, neither do we love in the same degree. For instance, we are not to love the world and we cannot love God and our neighbour in the same way/degree.
We may even be daily involved with somethings and not love them, for the love of money is the root of evil. So, we see different forms of love and we also know that God Is Love. He knows more about love than you do.

God is the everlasting God with the everlasting love. He says "I have loved you with an everlasting love". God so loved us that He gave. It is an eternal commitment. He wants us to have eternal life, His life. What can we do in response to this love? We should strive not to break it. Have you ever heard of haters or enemies having heartbreaks? No! It is lovers. It's the same way, even more, that we sometimes grieve God. If you've ever suffered a heart break or seen someone do, you'll be most careful with your relationship with God for we are created in His image. From now onwards, let us respond with our love, our life, for His amazing love demands/deserves our ALL. Not just our inside or heart but everything (spirit, soul and BODY).

November 11 Luke 11v27,28

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

We all love blessings. Nobody wants to be cursed or associated with curses. You will see people doing a lot of things to break curses. It is a good thing to be blessed and to be a blessing to others.
There are different levels/orders/classes of blessings. Today, there's a kind of blessing that is in the same category as saying "thank you". There's also the kind of blessing that Israel got at Jabbok when he'll not let the angel of God go, until he was blessed. We should seek for big blessings, lasting enduring blessings. The Lord Jesus teaches us so many ways we can be blessed. So many, it's unfortunate that people miss blessings.

The beatitudes in Matthew 5 are about blessings. Also, it is more blessed to give than to receive. In Today's passage, we see another way to be MORE blessed. He says 'Blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. It is vital for believers to be more of listeners. It is said that God gave us two ears and one mouth, so that we should hear twice and PLUS MORE than what we say.
So, hear God's Word. And keep it. Some people hear to criticize, some hear to debate, some to discuss but Jesus said 'hear the Word of God, and keep it'. It is not even 'hear the Word of God, and understand it'. It is hear, and keep. Therein lies enduring eternal blessings.

November 14 Proverbs 14v4

4. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.


God is not a lazy God. Godly people should not be lazy.
Many of us are of the idea/assumption that Adam's sin is the reason why we work. Many think that if not for Adam, we will just be sleeping and eating and sleeping and eating. Some even expect that when we get to Heaven and see Jesus, all that remains is jollity, no more work. Everybody knows how to write a letter of resignation, not many know how to write a letter of application.
More are saving more for retirement than even for the present. Yet, the true picture is that much increase is by the strength of the ox. If you want much increase, hands have to 'get dirty'. Where no oxen is, the crib is clean. You really need to labour.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard. Get up and start something. To get to the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus said "labour to enter". And so, if you really want a 'heaven on earth life', you need to labour.
Someone said that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Think! that's work.

Before the fall, Adam worked in Eden, so much that he needed a helpmeet.
In Heaven, some living creatures are before God, forever worshipping Him, and saying 'Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts'. I assume that's some work.
Angels are MINISTERING spirits, and Jesus said that the saints in Heaven ARE LIKE the angels. So, get busy. You have no excuse.
Expect much increase as you work, for that is The Plan, much increase.

November 28 Proverbs 28v25


25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat.


Counterfeit is an imitation, it is not genuine. Counterfeit is not original. Some people are used to counterfeit; they feel that counterfeit items are cheaper, that they perform the same function, that it's even smarter. Counterfeit may rival the original, it may even be mistaken for the original. It may even appear/surface to you before the original.
Have you seen counterfeit money, phones, sport jerseys, electronics, footwear, software, laptops, books, films, drugs? Have you seen counterfeit behaviour, happiness, faith, life, holiness, miracles, christs, teacher, prophet? Counterfeit is NOT original. Unfortunately, counterfeits usually behave like and look like original.
Satan tries to counterfeit God and God's work. If God performs wonders, satan has magic. If God sends tongues, satan sends incantations. If God gives His Holy Spirit, satan gives out fulness of devilish spirits.

If God expounds on the mystery of Trinity, satan has his host of trinities. Without faith you cannot please God, without pride you cannot please satan.
Pride is not faith, it only looks like it. It is sorry that people don't see that they look alike and they rush for the counterfeit.
Boasting and self-confidence is not faith. "I will be like the Most High" may round quite pious and look like a desire to be godly, but we all see it was the pride of Lucifer. A thin line between pride and faith, evil and good. Even now, it may be that the line you have crossed. Is your trust in the Lord or in your own heart? Have you truly given your life to Jesus, or is it still with you or with the devil? What will, what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Every individual should check up, from God and from His Word, for they are up. His Word is truth, it is not counterfeit. It will stand when earth and the heavens have passed away. Are you in line, where is your life? In pride or in faith?

November 29 Jeremiah 29v20


20 Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

In safety precautions, one of the necessary keys to ensure safety is risk assessment. Risk assessment involves measuring or calculating the level of danger involved in an action before it is taken. It considers danger to self, different body parts that can be injured and safety equipment or precautions that can be used, danger to others around you, and even danger to the noun i.e animal, place or thing around.
Organisations, companies and individuals implement risk assessment all over the world. Yet, even as it is an international safety standard, many refuse to inculcate it to their daily lives and most importantly, to their spiritual lives. As children of God, each one should carry out risk assessment everyday, no everytime. For life is even a vapour, and we are severally warned to 'take heed'.

Peter carried out risk assessment, and said "to whom shall we go". In Today's passage, the instruction is "Hear ye therefore the Word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity". Many times, we imagine that the Word of God is for our convenience, after we have satisfied ourselves, our boss, our flesh. We have time for God only after promotion, on the Lord's day, on holidays. But God is telling us that He always wants to speak to, and with us.
Today's passage reveals to us that God chastised His children, He sent them from Jerusalem to Babylon. It doesn't give them the right to go and serve other gods. It doesn't give them the right to sin. Today, you may lose a job, a part of the body, even a close person/friend. You may lose property, even your freedom. It doesn't give you a right to forsake God. Actually, if you did your risk assessment, you will cleave to God. Wisdom is the principal thing. If you lack it, ask God. Even if you have it, or think you do, still ask God. God is GOD.

December 2 Genesis 30v30



Gen 30:30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?


We all love to be special, we all want to make an impact, a lasting impression. When you think of the great people who have lived before us and in our present time, we want to be like them. We usually regard them because of the impact that they have had, some in politics, some in education and research, some in spiritual matters, some to their environment, people and locality. All to their generation.
We're moved to ask of what we will achieve in our own generation. Jacob had an indelible impact in the household of Laban his uncle. You see, you don't have to be the president of the world before you create an impact. You don't even have to be Mr. Rich before you affect lives. Jacob affected the lives of those around him. Hear his words again in our Today's passage. "it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming."
He knew it. It was undeniable. He came to live with his uncle as a young man. How are you impacting the lives of others. Your family, those that live around you and with you, your co-workers, your employers or employees, the world around you? How much we struggle to even achieve this level! But thank God for Jacob, who is among the cloud of witnesses wee have observing us. He's been there, done that.
More importantly and most essentially, he's done MORE THAN that. What can be more than impacting/imparting the world, you may ask? When will I provide for my own house also? That's it, YOU. People spend their lives working for money, even for their family, or for church. When will you provide for you? You spend time touching lives, when will you touch your own? You give yourself to study and research and knowledge. You offer yourself to work, and to pleasure and to sports, when will you find time for you? You go to school, marry, get a job, get certificates, children, grand children. When will you get salvation? Or you're even 'spiritual'. You love God, you love your neighbours, is that all? No, and no again. The two greatest commandments are these; one, to love God, and two is to love your neighbour as you[/b]rself. When are you going to love yourself and move closer to God? God has prepared a place, just for [b]YOU. How often do YOU think about it? Are you even interested in it?
The rewards in Heaven await YOU. Are you doing anything of significance to get them. to get the best of Heaven, not just to manage to maybe enter, just in case. To get the best eternally, always the best. When will YOU provide for your own house? Reflect and meditate on these for Jesus came just because of YOU.

December 9 Matthew 9v38

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Our duty is laid clear before us. We should pray to God that He should send labourers, soul winners, evangelists. When last did you pray about this. It is a command from Christ. People talk about not having to keep old testament laws, are they keeping new testament laws. It is useful to note that God is already aware of the need, yet it is required that we ask. Even of greater note should be the fact that it is His harvest.
How then is it our business, you'll think He should just 'sort Himself'. We are members of the same body and joint heirs with Jesus. We are of the same family and what affects the Lord ought to affect us.
Nonchalance to evangelism and intercession does not augur well for us as believers. Let's realise that our blood ought to be thicker than water. Let us mind the same thing, lets mind the things of Christ, of God. Pray to God that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.
And anytime the harvest comes in, always remember that they are God's Harvest, not exclusively yours. We do not win souls to our church, or to our branch, or to ourselves. They are God's harvest. Let's add this to our faith, let us intercede and ask for more labourers. This would be praying to God in line with His will, and what gracious answer may we receive.

December 10 John 10v27


27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

The Lord our God is one Lord. This phrase, Jesus referred to as, in the first commandment. That Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep. King David knew Him when he called Him Lord. David seemed far ahead of his generation, even ours. What made him so was divine revelation. Divine revelation is available when we submit ourselves to God's daily guidance, when we dare not climb without our guide. The psalmist knew the Lord as his Shepherd.
Believers today are sheep. If you are not sheepish, you are not a sheep. It means you are not a true believer and the Lord is not your Shepherd. Some professing christians are dogs, some are wolves, some are goats. Those who belong to Jesus are sheep, they FOLLOW the Shepherd. They HEAR His voice. My sheep hear my voice, they listen for and to the Lord's voice. They don't rely on experience, or logic, or popular opinion. They rely, relax and rest on the Word.

Oh for friends to truly rely, relax and rest on the Word. They HEAR, they trust God for daily guidance. They spend much time with Jesus, they expect from God and they Follow Him. Being sheepish doesn't translate into following every tom and harry, every prophet, every pastor, every miracle worker, even every one used of God for us. His sheep Follow Him.
When He says "whose faith follow", He puts the clause 'CONSIDERING the outcome of their way of life, remembering/knowing that Jesus Christ is the SAME forever'. Are you following the good Shepherd or just following pastor somebody? Jesus knows His sheep, I KNOW them. You should ask yourself, would He deny me? Because He WILL deny people with iniquity/sin. He WILL cast out some CALLED into outer darkness. We need His daily guide.
One more thing to see is that Jesus did not say 'I am the only one that knows them'. He said 'I know them, the Lord knows them that are His'. Believers should note this because the former phrase has crept into the body. But it will be cast out in Jesus' name.

The man simply known and called 'Gogo' lives at Oshodi market in Lagos. Stark naked from head to toe, Gogo wanders from one part of the market to another. To some people, he is an eyesore and yet to others, he is a filmshow. Gogo, of course, is ignorant of his state. He has no friends. No person comes near him. Even his relations will never identify with him for shame.
Gogo's food is got from the heaps of rubbish at different corners of the market. His drinking water is from the gutters that run through the market. His companions at the food centre are dogs, goats and pigs.
On one occasion, a serious fight ensued between two neighbours in the market because one called the other 'Gogo'. The name is a curse and no one wants to identify with it or with him. However, one truth which both fighters did not know was that both of them were 'Gogo' before God. Many people are really naked before God as a result of sin.
The Bible gives this account in Genesis 3v9,10. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in garden and I was afraid, because I was n.aked and I hid myself
Adam's sin made him naked before God. You who are reading this, pause and ask yourself a question. "Am I naked before God?"

The Bible says that 'All have sinned and come short of the glory of God'(Romans 3v23). If you are not putting on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the righteousness of God for you and all mankind, then you are not better than Gogo. And like Gogo, you are stark nake.d before God. You eat and drink sin which is worse than the rubbish Gogo eats. Run to God for your deliverance and covering because sin is a killer. Gogo eventually died on top of rubbish and was eaten by pigs and dogs.
The wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth, it shall die(Romans 6v23, Ezekiel 18v20). This is more than physical death for all mankind. It is seperation from God in all eternity, eternal damnation and anguish in hell. Do you prefer to live as a mad person, carefree of the reality of life and the love of God? Choose life today!
The only way of escape is the Lord Jesus Christ who is 'The Way, the Truth and the Life' John 14v6. No person can come to God except through Him.
The decision either to live or die is yours. Choose one.
(Culled from a tract).

December 22 Acts 22v16
Act 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

It is God's desire that we should progress. God doesn't like stagnancy. The characteristic of the believer is a flowing of rivers of living waters. Stagnant water is not good for you, it is smelly and stale. So many people are stagnant/static. They continue to do the same thing, no plan for progress. Many remain dormant due to fear or because of a lack of knowledge of what to do next.
But when God comes, His is a command to move forward. God brought light to Saul in today's passage. The light was a call to progress, Arise! Many believers just stay in the same place. They have seen the Lord Jesus, had a 'Damascus experience', they've seen, even had their own blind eyes open. They have received great words of prophecy and prayers into their lives like Saul of Tarsus, but they remain there. They tarry.
Today, you can arise and do something new. Be baptized, wash away your sins, call on the Lord Jesus, make progress! The year is running to an end, not your life. Make plans, strategise, set goals, dream dreams. There is still a miracle in there for you this year. God wants you to arise. You do not have to keep waiting to make progress, even spiritually. Get baptized, do away with sin, become a prayer champion. All those two minutes prayer you struggle to pray, what are you waiting for? Arise, and make progress not excuses.

December 23 Joshua 23v12

12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you.

Right from the genesis, we have the popular command for the man to 'leave and cleave'. Man was created with the power of choice. The choices you decide on can make or mar your life. For one to succeed in life's examination, he has to make the right choice and leave the other options. He cannot tick all the options, neither can you.
You must leave and cleave, so you better not be cleaving to death but life. The children of Israel knew distinctly that they had to cleave to God. Even earlier in the chapter of Today's passage, they were admonished to 'cleave unto the Lord'. Like it's been said, you must leave to cleave. You cannot cleave to everything. You cannot serve God and mammon. When you cleave to God, you leave something. If you observe yourself holding/cleaving to something apart from God, it automatically means that you have left God.

It is always a leave to cleave, if you do not leave you cannot cleave. When you leave God, some people call it 'backsliding'. Like the first sentence in our passage, it says "Else if ye do in any wise go back". There it is. When you leave God, you have gone back. If you truly love God, you will cleave to Him. You cannot love the world and its system. You will be seperate. You will not go ahead to marry an unbeliever. You will not be undiscerning. Holding on to the world shows that you have left God. True love holds on to God and leaves the world and its system.
Check your goal, check your desire, check your actions, search yourself, check your heart. Who do you love?

December 24 Matthew 24v4


Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.


Were Jesus' disciples part of the elect? Did Jesus warn them of the possibility off being deceived? These two questions are pertinent as there are many believers with the mentality that the elect cannot be deceived. Interestingly enough, that idea is often hooked to a passage in this same chapter as our Today's passage's which says 'if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect'. Notice that this particular phrase doesn't say it is possible or impossible to be deceived. But many take it to mean that it is impossible.
In reality, the bitter truth is that "those days" were shortened for the elect's sake. The shortening is a pointer that worse things could happen to those elect but for the shortening. And today, we are not living in that period of tribulation yet. Our present days are not shortened, as it were. And that is why we should be careful. Jesus told His disciples "Be careful so that no one will deceive you". This is Matthew 24, towards the end of Christ's earthly ministry. The disciples knew Jesus, the Father had even revealed Him to them, asides flesh and blood. They knew His doctrines, they might have perhaps, written a more comprehensive account of His life on earth at this time. How can thay be deceived? But Jesus told them, 'Make sure no mam deceives you'.
Today, as believers, we should make sure no man deceives us. The surest way is to stand on and with the Word of God, it's a more sure word of prophecy. listen, Have you ever listened to good debates? It's like the two sides of the debate have a point,no, point[b]S[/b]. You listen to this side and you agree, they have valid points. You listen to the opposing side/team, and you also agree, they are both making good points. It's almost the same with preachers and teachers The more fluent and intelligent they are, the more you want to believe them. If you sit down long enough, you can be convinced either that the world is flat, or that the world is spherical, it depends on who is saying it and how. That's why you'd want to stay away from false preachers, avoid them, FLEE, cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err. take it what you hear and how you hear. Take heed that NO MAN, friend or fiend, believer or unbeliever, male or female, spiritual or soulish, miracle worker or not, NO MAN deceive you.

December 25 Matthew 25v23

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Today, we recall the wonder God had wrought for man, the great Desire of nations, of whom cherubims sang anthems to men. What joy He brought to the world, to man, and to mankind. What joy it was, on the day when the Son of God became man, so that men the sons of God might become.
In God's presence, there is fullness of joy. It was of that joy that He brought to the world, that we may be partakers of His joy. Everybody is celebrating; both goat, sheep, man, woman. Everyone is calling Lord, Lord, even the wicked and slothful. But He came for more than this, He came to make us partakers of His joy. His joy is our strength. Our Today's passage literally tells us that His joy is HEAVEN. Like they say, earth is a market, there's no continuing city, no permanent inheritance here for the true children of God.
Jesus came from Heaven to show us the way to Heaven, the joy of the Lord. It is the most important thing as we remember, as we celebrate. There's a purpose, there's a reward, a 'welldone' day for which Today happened.

Let's not get carried away by the drinking and eating, the music and partying, like others. The general populace thinks 'we are all the same, nobody knows who is serving God, there is no good person'. Well, the Lord is picking people that He calls good, faithful, servants. People who will receive a well done, who will rule over many. People who will make it into the joy of the Lord. This should give us real strength to live for God, knowing that this day's Joy To The World, is that we may enter into God's joy.

December 26 Acts 26v20

20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.


We have heard that no two humans are the same, and that there is strength in diversity. Truly, we cannot, possibly should not, all be the same in some ways, but in other ways we must be the same for things to be normal, convenient, coherent, fluent. Just like we are all primates, we're all human beings. We need/use the same oxygen, the same water to survive. I think it's also true spiritually.
We are different members of one body. This church may use a plastic pulpit, the other glass, the other wood pulpit, even no pulpit. This church may use the tambourine, the other does not. This one may use the keyboard, the other organ. This one may use drums, the other does not. This one may wear hats, the other scarves. These are non-essentials, not make or break points. These are different administrations.

But in other ways, we must be the same for things to be normal, conventional, coherent and fluent. Today's passage speaks of one of such ways. It is the way of the common salvation. There are no different salvations or different ways for different churches. Some talk of 'in our own ministry'. They have their own, but there's a common salvation. Whether it's Damascus, or Jerusalem, or throughout the coasts of Judea where Jews may be found, or to the Gentiles, it's always a salvation of repentance, a turning to God. After which must follow WORKS meet for/worthy of/satisfying/complying with repentance.
This one is not for Jews alone, it's not for Gentiles only. It is not reserved for the old testament, or a preserve of the new testament. It is the common salvation. Each believer, whatever race, denomination or location MUST repent, turn to God, and DO works meet for repentance.

December 30                 Acts 28v3

3. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

   Paul the apostle was not a conqueror. Far from it, he was more than a conqueror. Talk about being plucked out of the fire.
Most times, we see and remember the ministry, the healings, the preachings, of course the writings, the apostolic signs. But we tend to forget the man, the labours, the stripes, the journeyings, perils, weariness, painfulness, the hunger and the cold. That was the life of Paul, that was his light affliction.
  Paul was not a 'fast food, cafeteria' christian. Here was a man that the Lord Jesus appeared to and said "Be of good cheer". Of good cheer? The very next day, certain Jews bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. How can there be, any good in a cheer when for the next two years, Paul was left bound because He would not give a bribe. He was so innocent, yet he couldn.t be released. But he obeyed the command.
Some people think that old testament commands are more difficult than the new testament's. Paul not only obeyed but told others also "Sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God". What! Believe God? There was a storm, the Bible records that all hope was taken away in this storm. I ask you reader, what have you faced? An angel just appeared to Paul, an angel! What followed later was some soldiers' counsel to kill all the prisoners including Paul. The christian journey is not all a bed of roses as some imagine it to be.
God helped Paul, they escaped the storm, and here is Paul offering community service, gathering sticks. 276 people plus the barbarians, and the best hands a viper saw was Paul's. But he overcame, and thank God in all these things, you too can, will overcome. Because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. You will thread upon the lion and the adder. You will be set on high. You will be delivered. You are honoured. You will boldly say 'God is my helper'. There shall no evil befall you. You are more excellent, more than conquerors. You are an overcomes, the child of God. You have the VICTORY. You will finish your course. NOTHING shall by any means hurt you. You can say it again to the devil's hearing and for anyone who cares to know. Where the word of a king is, there is power.