Word, Worship and Warfare Centre

As ordained by God, marriage was intended to be the building block of the society in which humanity was to exist. God intended that once the order He had established was maintained between husbands and wives, a conducive and sane atmosphere would be developed for children to be birthed into and be trained in the way they should go. Therefore, the decadence we experience in our societies today is the result of the failure of marriages among humans. When we go back to maintaining the standards set by God for marriage and uphold them, then, our societies will begin to transform from being disordered to becoming ordered.

It is important to make the next generations of married couples understand that men and women are not the same. Therefore, they should learn to complement and not compete with each other. Enjoy a blessed and fulfilling month of September.

Beloved, have you been able to score yourselves as the year 2023 comes to a close? Has your activities this year brought you into a closer or a better relationship with God, your spouse, children and neighbors or has it taken you far away into just thinking of and serving yourself? It is true that many of us have indeed sorry tales to tell about how the year went but we need to understand that, God lets those things happen to move us forward and make us better. If only we can trust Him, He desire to do even more better things that is worthy of testimony. He will move us from self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency. From self-reliance to God-reliance. From trusting in our own ability to trusting in him alone. As we live through the next few hours to 2024, let us plan and believe that the best is yet to come. Live with the consciousness that in the new year, you will only attract good. However, if evil comes we should believe that God has promised that, He will never live us nor forsake us. He says; all things works together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. It is well with you all in Jesus name, Amen.

Lifegate Devotional By Dominic Babalola Pedro.

17 December 2022.

Theme: When Jehovah Whose Name Is Holy Leads And Fights Our Battles.

Exodus 14:13-16.
"Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground."

When God wanted to set the Israelites free from Egyptian captivity, He appeared to Moses from the burning bush. This event made us aware of God's faithfulness to His Word. It made us aware that His promise to Abraham that his generation shall be refugees in a foreign land for 400 years but will be delivered was true. We were made to learn that when God manifests His presence, we must not approach Him in doubt, unbelief, or double-mindedness. We learned that God is the Author of our purposes, and when He reveals them to us individually, we must not make excuses. Our purposes are meant to be attended to as He demands because failure to do so will cause our relationship and fellowship with God to die. However, everyone who obeys God's mandate as He defines them to us shall live. For every Divine assignment, God has arranged for those who will support us and has decreed that all things would work together for our good. Thus, He revealed to His people, Israel that His plan to deliver them was going to be based on His name, Jehovah which reveals His person and His personality. The meaning of God's name" Jehovah means I Am that I Am, or just as I have spoken, so would I do.

The ten plagues that befell the Egyptians were meant to cause the Israelites to witness that as God promised to do to their oppressors, so did He exactly to them. However, after preparing for and partaking in the Passover as God instructed them to, the angel of death passed them over but killed every firstborn of both humans and beasts in Egypt. Then, they were asked to demand from the Egyptians silver, gold jewelry, and clothing, which the Egyptians delivered freely to the Israelites without hesitation. The Israelites found favor before the Egyptians because of Jehovah's judgment for the enslavement of His people (Exodus 12:35–36). The Israelites were shown to be blessed but the Egyptians were shown to be cursed by Jehovah.

After the Passover in Egypt, while the Egyptians grieved over the loss of their firstborns, Pharaoh demanded to see Moses. He bitterly told Moses that the Israelites should depart but he forbade Moses never to see him, Pharaoh face to face again. He declared that if Moses does, the consequence would be his death. Moses took this as God's cue to him that the Israelites were free to leave Egypt finally, and never to return. Through the words of his mouth, Pharaoh had condemned himself to death already before the Lord. However, when the Israelites panicked at the site of seeing the hot pursuit of Pharaoh and the Egyptian armies they shouted in fear to alert Moses of what was happening from behind. Moses did not look back because he knew that it was God's ordained terminal point for Pharaoh and his armies to perish. Therefore, Moses declared as God's mouthpiece to the Israelites who were looking at the approaching armies that "...The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again..."

The understanding of Moses of the person and personality of Jehovah proved strong in the deliverance of God's people from Egyptian captivity. His firm faith that God had already judged Pharaoh and his armies made him declare that they were dead already because God will prove Himself faithful to His Word to deliver His people. Let us also believe like Moses that God can do whatever He has promised to do because He is Holy.

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Shabbat Shalom!

Lifegate Devotional by Dominic Babalola Pedro.

Theme: Overcoming The Enemy -Doing Things In The Identity Of Christ.

14 December 2022.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11.
To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Jesus Christ set us a standard in the Bible on how we are to live to please God and live to overcome the enemy. His example of how to do this was played out on the cross of Calvary when He declared while going through excruciating pain that "...Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..." (Luke 23:34). By expressing God's love to the human agents the enemy used to torture and kill Him, Jesus pleased God, His Father on one part and overcame the enemy on the other.

Satan's manipulative strategy is set to trap people as many people as possible. He uses different styles to disguise himself as an angel of light, to deceive souls. He achieves his aims by twisting the Word of God. "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). He does everything he can to examine if those who claim to be of Christ truly know the Word of God. If they do, he patiently observes them to know if they can appropriate the Word of God accordingly. If he discovers that they are ignorant of God's Word, or cannot appropriate them, he would manipulate their minds to make them think his evil ways are a normal way of living. For this reason, all believers in Christ Jesus must be discerning in every way, especially concerning those things that are pleasing to God, and what are not. If we are not discerning of the tactics of the enemy, it is because we are not submitted to the Holy Spirit and are not led by Him. When the enemy observes that we do not have God's presence, it is an indication that he can attack us. He will restrategize in every way possible, and subtly try to entice us with the things of the world so that he can make us his captive.

However, we belong to God, we are submitted to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the powers of darkness cannot stand against us, because we are the children of the Light. This reality was what God affirmed to Joshua when He assured him of becoming successful and prosperous when he constantly confesses the Word of God that he daily meditates upon. "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you" (Joshua 1:5,8). Thus, let us keep confessing God's Word back to Him because we believe Him and we will continually experience Him confirming His Word in our lives. It is this truth that Jesus established that the presence of God is always upon everyone who submits to the Holy Spirit and the enemy cannot withstand them, when He declared "...That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus was declaring that it was based on the testimony of His person and personality that His Body, the Church will be established, and sin and death shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). The "gates of hell" is "sin and death" because the reward for sin is death, and death is the gateway to hell.

In 1 Peter 3:14, we are assured of God's blessing and protection from the enemy's onslaught if we continue living to please Him. "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." Nothing can harm you, since God is on our side because Christ has delivered us from this present evil world and saved us from the hands of the enemy. Since the love of God, which drives out fear, is in our hearts, nothing can separate us from Him.

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Good morning, and do have a blessed day.

Lifegate Devotional by Dominic Babalola Pedro.

8 December 2022.

Theme: Discerning The Ministers Of Satan From Those Of Christ (Part 2).

Meditate on 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.

Satan is the counterfeiter who inspires his agents with the false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). His false ministers propagate his messages to the gullible (2 Corinthians 11:13-12), and this produces false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). These counterfeits of satan are planted within various assemblies of true believers in Christ (Matthew 13:38). They have a form of Godliness (they practice religion) but they deny the power thereof (they are not submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit). In 2 Peter 1, we are made aware of the genuine believers but in 2 Peter 2, we are made aware of the counterfeit believers. When we compare these chapters we will observe the difference between authentic and counterfeit believers. Peter made us aware of the source of the messages they preach and teach when he declared, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:16). And then he says the false teachers exploit you" with stories they have made up" (2 Peter 2:3).

These ministers also preach about the cross in a way to deceive the slack, unlearned and gullible Saints. This is how they operate as vessels for the thieves to come in to steal, kill, and destroy. It is by teaching the cross in a manipulative that they manifest themselves as ministers of righteousness. They make those who believe in them prioritize worldliness above Godliness thus, turning Matthew 6:33 downside up.

These ministers have left their love for God and do not prioritize Him in whatever they do. "Nevertheless I have against thee because thou hast left thy first love (Revelations 2:4). What was preached that made the Saints leave their first love were strange doctrines that focus on self and the world. "But I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate (Revelations 2:14-15).

Sadly, through the workings of seducing spirits, many are enticed and lured astray from the Gospel and the doctrine of truth. Under the influence of deceptive spirits, they seduce others to go the way of Cain, Dathan, Korah, Abiram, Balaam, and Jezebel. "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Revelations 2:20).

We must note that all these references to satan's ministers within the congregation of the Saints were pointed out to us by Christ to make us aware that the enemy has infiltrated our midst, to turn us away from receiving the true knowledge of God, and to mar our growth. Therefore, we must take to the counsel of Peter who warned us to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We should not permit ourselves to become ignorant of the devices of the devil so that we will not be swallowed up by strange and deceptive doctrines of the devil which are presented as truth.

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Good morning, and do have a blessed day.

Lifegate Devotional by Dominic Babalola Pedro.

7 December 2022.

Theme: Discerning The Ministers Of Satan From Those Of Christ (Part 1).

Meditate on 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.

Paul in Galatians 1:3-9 made us aware that we have been rescued through the process of redemption from the present evil age, according to the arrangements of God. However, he was amazed that as quickly as the disciples in Galatia received the truth of the gospel of Christ so were they deserting Him for another message that masquerades as the gospel. He discerned by the Holy Spirit that the issues were caused by some agents of the devil. Through their strange teachings, they threw the gullible into confusion through the perverted gospel of Christ. To overturn this evil infiltration of the enemy, Paul firmly made the Saints in Galatia aware of the perpetrators. He identified them as humans and spirits who present lies as truth and invoked God's judgment upon them. For Paul to go to the length of invoking the wrath of God, His judgment, or curse upon these emissaries of the devil, means that it was an invasion.

In Philippians 1:15-17, Paul distinguished between those who are ministers of the devil from those who are of God. He exposed the traits of these invading mercenaries of the powers of darkness that they preach Christ out of envy and strife. However, true ambassadors only minister the gospel of Christ out of goodwill borne out of their love for God. This makes us aware that those who preach self-centered messages as the gospel are usurpers and agents of the devil. However, those who preach Christ-centered messages as the gospel are members of His Body and His representatives.

In 2 Peter 2:1, Peter gave a clear and definite statement to make us aware that just as false prophets operated among the Israelites in the Old Testament, so will false teachers operate among the disciples of Christ in the New Testament. "There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you." The false prophets that arose in the Old Testament were a constant problem for the Israelites. Therefore, to curb their uprising, it was established by law that those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God and are proven not to be of Him should be stoned. This was because they rared up themselves, and multiplied throughout the Old Testament causing disaster to the spiritual life of God's people. The devil who raised them for his service in those days is still raising his agents in this dispensation in the same way. This was the reason Peter declared that "There will be false teachers among you." Notice the emphasis on the phrase "among you." This signified that Peter's writing was to the Church. Peter sensitized the Saints that among those who profess to have a relationship with Christ but did not grow into having fellowship with the Holy Spirit, the devil will raise to himself agents to do his bidding.

In 1 John 2:19, we were made to identify them, that these would be agents will be those who attended our local assembling of the Saints in Christ with us. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." The Body of Christ in the spirit is pure, perfect, and unitedly one with Christ His head. However, the denominations which we behold as the Church on this side of heaven are not what we think it is. This was the reason that it was instituted that the wheat and the tares should be left to grow together. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit (the wheat) will have to grow together with those who profess to be His (the tares). Just as there are authentic or counterfeit ministers so are there also authentic and counterfeit Christians. It takes only the discernment of the Holy Spirit to discern and distinguish between either of them.

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Good morning, and do have a blessed day.

Lifegate Devotional By Dominic Babalola Pedro.

4 December 2022

Theme: Living Water -Jesus Reliving Himself In Us Through His Spirit.

John 7:37-42.
"On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified). Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth, this is the Prophet. Others said This is the Christ. But some said Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath, not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"

To understand the above Bible quotations, we must first explain the phrase "Living water," which can be found in different books throughout the Bible. The four main significant examples are two in the Old Testament and two in the New Testament. In Jeremiah 2:13, God stated that "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Also in Jeremiah 17:13, the Prophet Jeremiah declared of God that "Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water." In these two passages, who was referred to as "the spring of living water," was God. Although God provided His people with everything they needed, yet, they forsook Him by turning away from Him. Thus, they became lost and unproductive.

In John 4:10, Jesus had an encounter with a Samaritan woman who engaged Him in a debate. However, as Jesus responded to her ignorance, He declared that "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Jesus spoke again of the living water, in John 7: 37-39 where He declared that "'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." In these two passages from the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke of the living water not just as water, but also as a symbol for the Holy Spirit who is to come after His death and resurrection as the Shepherd of His disciples.

Just as we have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh, we also must have fellowship with the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of the Word. The Word of God is the truth, and His Spirit is also known as the Spirit of truth. If we study and meditate on the written Word in the Bible, and we do not meet with the Spirit of the Word, we cannot receive the full benefits of all the spiritual blessings that God has stored up for us in the heavenly places. This is because the Holy Spirit is the One entrusted with seeing to our spiritual development. He is the One who nurtures us with the knowledge of eternal life, which is to know the only true God, Jehovah, and His Son, Jesus Christ who He has sent (John 17:3). It is through the Holy Spirit that Jesus continues His ministry by reliving Himself through our lives. In Ephesians 4, we are made to know that it is the Holy Spirit that uses the Apostolic, Prophetic, Teaching, Pastoral, and Evangelistic ministries to equip, unify, and build up the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit uses these ministries to help the Saints in Christ to identify their respective ministries in the Church and help us to come to the fullness of the image of Christ (Ephesians 4).

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Good morning, and do have a blessed Sunday.

Lifegate Devotional by Dominic Babalola Pedro.

1 December 2022.

Theme: Understanding The Cycle Of Life.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-3.
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree falls toward the south, or the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be."

There are natural and spiritual laws instituted by God that impact our lives and the world. These are fixed laws, which are Divinely ordained, that we cannot reverse or interfere in their operations. Since nature obeys the rule of God, liberally and reverently functioning as it had been ordained, we all need to learn from their practice. Solomon wrote this verse so we can learn from nature how to comply with the rule of God and not be hoarders. From the way nature functions, we know that everything God has created is to work in a cycle to form a balance that glorifies God.

This is the reason the Psalmist states that the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). For example, to bring rain upon the earth, the oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams by evaporation sends vapors into the skies to form clouds. When the clouds are saturated with water, they do not just keep accumulating it. As soon as they are filled up, the winds gather them together and they unanimously and generously pour forth rain to give life to both the fruitful field and the barren wilderness. The cycles continue to create the different rain seasons that we experience on earth.

The lesson here for us is that life, as established by God is meant to function in cycles. God has ordained it that when we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, He will cause all the good things of life, or the abundance of the valuable things of this world to be added unto us (Matthew 6:33). However, we must understand the principles by which these things work and submit to how it works because this will help us to maintain the flows as God had intended it. We must live conscious of the fact that all these good things that are added to us are not just for us. Therefore, they are not to be hoarded. The principle states that God blesses us so we can be a blessing and it declared further that those who bless us shall be blessed in return (Genesis 12:2-3). As we can see, this explains the cycle of how life is meant to be lived among ourselves. To make it clearer, it is God who extends His love to us by blessing us with seeds to sow, grow, and process into products. These products are the bread by which God blesses the eater (2 Corinthians 9:10).

In Ecclesiastes 11:1, the eater who receives the bread is commanded not to eat all of the bread given to him by God. He is to reserve some as seeds which he gives to the needy by faith, and willingly. God assures that in the future other men shall repay unto us the good done in good measures, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38). However, when we hoard what is to be passed on to our neighbors who are in need, we break the flow of the cycle of how life is to work out. Thus, we are denying God the glory that is due to Him. The consequence of this is that anyone who breaks the flow will be cut off from God who rewards obedience. For example, Nabal refused to be a blessing to the needs of David and his men, then he was rewarded with death.

In life, we either commit to living life to please ourselves or to please God. Whichever way we choose to live our lives, in death, we cannot alter or correct how we lived, and who we lived to please. This is the lesson from the story of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man, although saw the plight of Lazarus, yet, denied showing love to him by not giving him food when they were alive. In death, God awarded Lazarus eternal life, but, the rich man he awarded eternal damnation.

Confession: Please make your confession from what you have learned today.

Good morning, and do have a blessed day.

Lifegate Devotional by Dominic Babalola Pedro.

24 November 2022.

Theme: Standing Strong Amid the Storm.

Isaiah 26:3-4.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

God knows that we are often confronted with all kinds of attacks both spiritual and physical. No matter the degrees of these confrontations, the desire of God for the Saints in Christ is for them to prioritize Him and keep their minds focused on God. When Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the land of Babylon they agreed and determined in their hearts to only uphold their worship and service to Jehovah. However, the enemy raged against them because of their decision. Despite the storm that arose against them, they upheld their decision and refused to buckle down in their faith.

Joseph had two dreams that revealed God's Will for him and pointed him in the direction he should focus his faith. However, he was opposed by his father and his brothers who did not believe in him or his dreams. The brother's hatred for him grew to the point that they plotted against him and sold him into slavery. Surprisingly, Joseph never resisted their ganging up against him. In Egypt, he was sold to Potiphar. He served his household faithfully before God. However, when he was seduced by Potiphar's wife, Joseph maintained his integrity, by refusing her offer. He maintained loyalty to God and his master. Though, Potiphar's wife lied against him and this landed him in prison. Joseph kept being diligent till he became exalted in the palace. Every attack of the enemy was allowed by God to move Joseph to the next level. In the
No matter the degree of the storms that are raging, God is still with us. He says in Matthew 28:19 "For lo, I am with you always."

Though we all have things that come against us. Health issues, financial challenges, emotional hurts, and disappointments, however, tough times are permitted by God to help us grow stronger in our faith. It also helps us to anchor our faith on the promises of God, who is our strength. We should confess what we believe God will do. When a financial storm blows in, confess boldly, "My God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory" (Philippians 4:19). For unexpected attacks on our health, we should declare "I am healed" (1 Peter 2:24) because God said in Exodus 15:26, "I am the Lord that healeth thee." When a storm of uncertainty tries to steal your peace, remain calm and declare, "God will keep me in perfect peace because I trust in Him" (Isaiah 26:3).

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2). God is saying When we go through deep waters, He will be with us. When we go through rivers of difficulty, we will not drown. The trials, the problems, the crisis, the trials, they will not sweep over us. When we walk through the fire of oppression, we will not be burned up; and the flames of life will not consume us. Let us continue "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulations and continue instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

We have the assurance that in every attack of the enemy, God has decreed our victory. "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57). The word of God exhorts us to pray without ceasing. Since we have a God who hears and answers prayers. Let us come boldly before His throne so that we may find help in our time of need. We know that "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry" (Psalms 34:15).

Confession: I hold on to God's everlasting promises. I call unto the Lord in prayers and remain in faith until I see the problem change. I trust God and walk in obedience to His Word. Boldly and patiently I wait on Him to fulfill His Word. Amen.

Good morning and do have a blessed day.

Allen Jackson on Instagram: "Our children are being subjected to propaganda, which leads them to confusion and frustration. It is rampant amongst us, and there are some powerful public voices in public education that have the arrogance to stand... Allen Jackson shared a post on Instagram: "Our children are being subjected to propaganda, which leads them to confusion and frustration. It is rampant amongst us, and there are some powerful public voices in public education that have the arrogance to stand in the public square and declare parents....