📌 Today's Readings are from the Book of 1 Chronicles 3–4 | Ephesians 4 📌 👇 Overviews Are Below (PLEASE READ YOUR BIBLE: Overviews Do Not Replace Daily Reading) 👇 1 Chronicles 3 The Preserved Line of the Promised King 1 Chronicles 3 continues tracing the family line of Judah by focusing specifically on the descendants of David. The chapter records David’s sons, the kings who followed him, and the continuation of the royal family after the Babylonian exile. Although it consists largely of names, it carries a powerful message about God’s faithfulness to His covenant. The chapter begins with the sons born to David during his reign in Hebron and Jerusalem. David’s family history includes both blessing and brokenness. Some of his sons became connected with painful moments of rebellion, rivalry, and personal tragedy. Yet God’s redemptive purposes continued even through an imperfect household. The genealogy then follows the royal line through Solomon. God had promised David that his house, kingdom, and throne would be established according to His covenant purpose. Solomon became the immediate heir to that promise, but the covenant pointed beyond him toward a greater and eternal King. As the names of Judah’s kings are recorded, the chapter quietly summarizes generations of leadership. Some kings followed the Lord faithfully, while others led the nation into compromise and idolatry. Their reigns differed greatly, but God continued preserving the royal line. The covenant remained secure, not because every descendant was faithful, but because God was faithful. The genealogy continues through the Babylonian exile. Jerusalem had fallen, the temple had been destroyed, and the visible kingdom of David appeared to have ended. Yet the family line continued. Even in exile, God preserved the descendants through whom His promise would ultimately be fulfilled. This demonstrates that exile did not cancel God’s covenant. Human failure brought discipline and loss, but it could not overturn the Lord’s redemptive plan. What appeared to be the end of the kingdom was only another stage in God’s preparation for the coming Messiah. Theologically, 1 Chronicles 3 reveals God’s sovereign preservation of the Davidic line. Earthly kings failed, kingdoms declined, and the nation entered captivity, yet God’s promise remained alive. His covenant depended upon His own faithfulness rather than the strength or righteousness of human rulers. This chapter points directly to Jesus Christ, the promised Son of David. He is the true heir to David’s throne and the King whose reign will never end. The royal genealogy preserved through exile ultimately leads to Christ, in whom every promise concerning David’s kingdom finds complete fulfillment. For believers today, 1 Chronicles 3 reminds us that God’s promises remain secure even when circumstances appear hopeless. Human failure, national instability, and seasons of discipline cannot destroy what God has determined to accomplish. In Christ, we belong to an eternal kingdom ruled by the faithful King. We can trust that the God who preserved His promise through generations will remain faithful in every season of our lives. 1 Chronicles 4 God’s Grace Among Ordinary People 1 Chronicles 4 continues the genealogical record of Judah and also traces the descendants of Simeon. The chapter contains many names unfamiliar to modern readers, yet each one represents a person, family, occupation, and place remembered within the history of God’s covenant people. The chapter reminds us that God’s work is carried forward not only through famous kings and prophets but also through ordinary individuals and families. Among the genealogy appears the brief account of Jabez. His name is connected with pain, but his life is not controlled by that beginning. Jabez calls upon the God of Israel, asking for blessing, enlarged influence, divine guidance, and protection from evil. God grants his request. The account of Jabez does not teach that prayer is a formula for personal prosperity. Instead, it reveals a man who recognizes his complete dependence upon God. He does not rely upon his background, strength, or family position. He asks the Lord to direct his future and keep him from the evil that could bring further sorrow. His story demonstrates that a difficult beginning does not have to determine a person’s future. God’s grace is greater than the circumstances surrounding our birth, family history, or past experiences. When people seek Him sincerely, He is able to lead them beyond the limitations others may place upon them. The chapter also mentions craftsmen, potters, workers, leaders, and families who occupied particular towns and fulfilled practical responsibilities. These details reveal that ordinary work has value within God’s purposes. Service does not need to be publicly recognized to matter to the Lord. The descendants of Simeon are also described as seeking land for their flocks and defeating enemies who occupied the territory. Their account reflects the importance of courage, diligence, and acting upon the opportunities God provides. They did not remain passive but worked together to establish a place for their families. At the same time, the chapter must be understood within the unfolding history of Israel. These families were living within the covenant structure God had established for His people. Their victories, settlements, occupations, and family lines all formed part of the larger story leading toward the kingdom of David and ultimately toward Christ. Theologically, 1 Chronicles 4 reveals that God works through both prominent and ordinary people. He hears prayer, directs families, gives meaningful work, and uses faithful lives within His redemptive plan. The chapter also demonstrates that identity is not determined merely by pain or human circumstances but by God’s grace and calling. This chapter points to Christ, who brings people into a new identity that is not controlled by their past. Through Jesus, believers receive forgiveness, spiritual blessing, divine purpose, and deliverance from the power of evil. He enlarges our influence not for selfish ambition but so that our lives may display His grace and advance His kingdom. For believers today, 1 Chronicles 4 reminds us that no life is insignificant to God. He sees faithful service that others overlook, hears the prayers of those who depend upon Him, and can redeem even painful beginnings. In Christ, our past does not define our future. We are called to seek God’s hand upon our lives, serve faithfully wherever He places us, and use every opportunity for His glory and the advancement of His redemptive purposes. Ephesians 4 — Walking Worthy of the Calling in the Christ Ephesians chapter 4 marks the transition from the doctrinal truths of the first half of the letter to the practical application of those truths. Having explained all that believers possess through the Christ, the Son of God, Paul now calls them to live in a manner worthy of their calling. Christian living is the natural response to God's redemptive plan. The believer's conduct should reflect the grace, unity, and holiness that have already been provided through the Christ. The chapter begins with an appeal to walk worthy of the calling believers have received. This worthy walk is characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, and love. These qualities reflect the character of the Son of God and preserve the unity of His Church. The redemptive plan has brought believers into one family, and Christian living seeks to protect that unity through selfless love rather than personal ambition. Paul emphasizes that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. This repeated emphasis on oneness reveals that unity is not created by believers but given by God through the Christ. The Son of God has already made His people one, and they are now called to live consistently with that reality. The chapter also teaches that the Christ has given spiritual gifts to His Church. These gifts are not for personal recognition but for equipping believers, strengthening the body, and advancing God's kingdom. The redemptive plan includes the growth and maturity of the Church as every believer faithfully serves according to the grace given by the Son of God. Christian living is never passive; every believer has a meaningful role in building up the body of Christ. As believers mature, they become stable in their faith and are no longer easily influenced by false teaching or spiritual deception. Instead, they grow by speaking the truth in love while remaining firmly connected to the Christ, who is the head of the Church. Spiritual maturity is measured not merely by knowledge but by increasing conformity to the character of the Son of God. Paul then contrasts the believer's new life with the old way of living. Those who do not know the Christ continue in spiritual darkness because they are separated from the life of God. But believers have learned a different way through the Son of God. The redemptive plan transforms the heart, leading to an entirely new pattern of living. Christian living involves putting away the old sinful lifestyle and embracing the new life created by God's grace. The chapter describes this transformation as putting off the old self and putting on the new self. This new life reflects God's righteousness and holiness because it is created through the work of the Christ. The change is not merely outward behavior but inward renewal as the believer's mind is continually shaped by God's truth. Paul then applies these principles to everyday relationships. Believers are called to speak truthfully, control anger, work honestly, use words that encourage rather than destroy, show kindness, forgive one another, and avoid attitudes that grieve the Holy Spirit. Every area of life is to reflect the grace believers have received through the Son of God. Christian living is demonstrated not only in public worship but also in ordinary conversations, relationships, and daily choices. The chapter concludes with one of its greatest exhortations: believers are to forgive one another because God has forgiven them in the Christ. Forgiveness is not based on human merit but on the immeasurable grace demonstrated through the cross. The redemptive plan continually calls believers to extend to others the same mercy they have received from the Son of God. Throughout Ephesians chapter 4, the Christ remains the center of the believer's new life. He unites His Church, equips His people, transforms their character, and provides the perfect example of humility, truth, and forgiveness. Every aspect of Christian living flows from the new identity believers have received through Him. For believers today, this chapter reminds us that our conduct should reflect our calling in the Christ. Christian living is marked by humility, unity, spiritual maturity, and continual transformation. We are called to leave behind the old way of life and daily put on the character of the Son of God. As we speak truth in love, serve one another faithfully, forgive freely, and walk in holiness, we become living demonstrations of God's redemptive plan and faithful witnesses to the transforming grace of the Christ. #DailyBibleReading #OpenYourBible #StudyTheWord #ScriptureForToday #FaithJourney #GodsWord #BibleTime #WalkWithGod

Conflict and Courage. Daniel 2 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. Daniel 2:20, 21. Behold the Jewish captive, calm and self-possessed, in the presence of the monarch of the world's most powerful empire. In his first words he disclaimed honor for himself and exalted God as the source of all wisdom. To the anxious inquiry of the king, “Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?” he replied: “The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.” ... In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.... In the history of nations the student of God's word may behold the literal fulfillment of divine prophecy. Babylon, shattered and broken at last, passed away because in prosperity its rulers had regarded themselves as independent of God, and had ascribed the glory of their kingdom to human achievement.... The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt; and these sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral worth. The power exercised by every ruler on the earth is Heaven-imparted; and upon his use of the power thus bestowed, his success depends.... To recognize the outworking of these principles in the manifestation of His power who “removeth kings, and setteth up kings”—this is to understand the philosophy of history.1Prophets and Kings, 494-502.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER ,1ST 2026 TOPIC :THE LAW OF HARVEST AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE MEMORISE: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22 (KJV) BIBLE READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 15:37-44 37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: 38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. MESSAGE: The law of harvest is one of the most powerful laws created by God. It states that ‘whatever a person sows is what he or she will reap’ (Galatians 6:7), and it is so powerful that God applied it to Himself when He wanted more children. John 12:24 says a corn of wheat must first be sown into the ground and die before it can bring forth much fruit. So God sowed His only begotten son (Jesus Christ), so that He might gain many more children, and Jesus would become the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). Many years ago, there was a man in Nigeria who would hand out cash to people randomly wherever he went. People followed him everywhere he went because they knew that he would give them money. Some people wondered if he was mad, but he wasn’t; he only discovered that the more he gave out money, the more he received. Anyone who truly discovers the secret of the law of harvest would never be begged to give. The law of harvest is so powerful that when a person sows a seed of kindness or wickedness, the fellow will harvest what he or she has sown in bountiful folds. Nobody sows a grain of corn and harvests a grain; if you sow a grain of corn, the least harvest you can expect is a cob of corn with many grains. Job 4:8 says “…they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” People who spend their time scheming to harm others will eventually fall into the traps they created. Likewise, if you sow kindness, you will reap an abundance of kindness. Hosea 10:12 says that when people sow in righteousness, they will reap in mercy. Beloved, one thing you must constantly sow as a believer is good works. Dorcas could never have known that the harvest of her good works towards the widows in her community would come in the form of her being resurrected from the dead (Acts 9:36-42) – that is another mystery about the law of harvest. Today’s Bible reading tells us that whatever is sown often returns in another form because God gives the seed a body as He pleases. Dorcas’ seed of kindness returned in a bigger, better form as God’s gift of resurrection. Keep sowing good works, and watch God repay you in ways beyond your wildest imagination. KEY POINT: You will reap what you sow; therefore, sow good works everywhere you go. BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 25-27 HYMN 16: ‘TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS 1. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word; Just to rest upon His promise; Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord." CHORUS: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I 've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more 2. O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood; Just in simple faith to plunge me 'Neath the healing, cleansing flood! 3. Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease; Just from Jesus simply taking Life and rest, and joy and peace. 4. I'm so glad Learned to trust Thee, Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend, And I know that Thou art with me, Wilt be with me to the end. ' HAPPY NEW MONTH TO YOU ALL!.

Guard and Renew Your Mind (Romans 12:2) Your mind is a battlefield. Every day, you are exposed to thousands of messages telling you what to believe, what to desire, what success looks like, what happiness should look like, and what you should value. Social media. Music. Movies. Friends. News. Advertisements. The people you follow. The conversations you have. Even the thoughts you repeatedly tell yourself. Over time, these things can influence the way you think without you even realizing it. That's why the Bible says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Notice the word: Transformed. Following Jesus isn't simply about changing your appearance or using Christian language. Jesus wants to transform the way you think. The way you see yourself. The way you see other people. The way you respond to temptation. The way you handle money. The way you define success. The way you deal with disappointment. The way you make decisions. The way you understand your purpose. The world constantly tells you: “Follow your heart.” But Scripture teaches us to allow God to transform our hearts and minds through His truth. Not every thought you have deserves to be believed. Not every desire should be followed. Not every opinion online deserves your attention. Not every trend deserves your participation. Not every voice deserves influence over your life. You need discernment. Ask yourself: “Is this helping me become more like Christ?” That question can change the way you consume content. Before watching something, ask. Before listening to something repeatedly, ask. Before following someone online, ask. Before joining a conversation, ask. Before accepting a popular opinion, ask: “Does this agree with God's truth?” This doesn't mean you should hide from the world. Jesus called His followers to be lights in the world. But being in the world doesn't mean allowing the world's values to control you. You can use social media without allowing social media to define your worth. You can enjoy entertainment without allowing entertainment to shape your morality. You can learn from people without making people your ultimate authority. You can be aware of culture without becoming controlled by culture. Guard your mind. Because what repeatedly enters your mind eventually influences your heart, your words, and your actions. If you constantly consume negativity, don't be surprised when negativity begins shaping your outlook. If you constantly compare yourself with others, don't be surprised when you become dissatisfied with your own life. If you constantly consume materialism, don't be surprised when you begin believing that possessions determine your value. If you constantly listen to voices that tell you that you're not enough, don't be surprised when insecurity takes root. But the opposite is also true. Fill your mind with God's Word. Fill your mind with truth. Fill your mind with gratitude. Fill your mind with encouragement. Fill your mind with things that strengthen your faith. The more you know God's truth, the easier it becomes to recognize what contradicts it. That's why reading Scripture isn't just a religious routine. It renews your mind. When God's Word says you are created in His image, you don't have to let social media determine your worth. When God's Word says you are loved by God, you don't have to chase everyone's approval. When God's Word says God is with you, you don't have to allow fear to control every decision. When God's Word calls you to forgive, you don't have to allow bitterness to become your identity. When God's Word calls you to purity, you don't have to follow every desire. When God's Word calls you to serve, you don't have to live only for yourself. The battle for your life often begins with the battle for your mind. That's why Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Be careful what you allow to take root. And when wrong thoughts enter your mind, don't panic. A thought appearing in your mind isn't the same as choosing to embrace it. Bring it to God. Challenge it with Scripture. Replace lies with truth. Replace fear with faith. Replace bitterness with forgiveness. Replace comparison with gratitude. Replace hopelessness with the promises of God. Replace pride with humility. Replace selfishness with love. This is part of spiritual growth. You don't become more like Christ overnight. It happens as God continually transforms you. Day by day. Thought by thought. Decision by decision. So today, take an honest look at what has been influencing your mind. What are you watching? What are you listening to? Who are you following? What conversations are you constantly participating in? What thoughts do you repeatedly tell yourself? Are these things drawing you closer to Christ—or pulling you away from Him? You don't have to keep consuming something simply because everyone else does. You don't have to follow every trend. You don't have to accept every popular opinion. You have permission to say: “This isn't good for my spiritual life.” Then walk away. Your mind is valuable. Your heart is valuable. Your spiritual life is valuable. Protect them. And most importantly, give them to God. Don't allow the world to shape you more than God's Word does. Let Christ transform you from the inside out. Today, choose one unhealthy influence to reduce and one godly influence to increase. Spend more time in Scripture. Pray. Worship. Choose wise friendships. Consume content that strengthens your faith. And ask God to renew your mind. What is one thing you need to remove from your mind or replace with God's truth today? #RenewYourMind #Romans122 #GuardYourHeart #ChristianMindset #GodsWord #FaithInAction #ChristianYouth #BiblicalTruth #FollowJesus #JesusSaves #ShareJesus #DailyFaith #Lordsbook #JMSM #KNKA

BREAKFAST WITH GOD Tuesday, 1 September 2026 “A New Month, A New Beginning” Lamentations 3:22–23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Welcome to a new month! September is not just another month on the calendar—it is another opportunity to walk with God, grow in faith and pursue the purpose He has placed in your life. You may have entered this month with unfinished plans, unanswered prayers or challenges from the past. But remember: God's faithfulness did not end yesterday. His mercy has followed you into this new month. Do not allow the disappointments of the past to control your expectations for the future. God is still working. The door that did not open yesterday does not mean that God has forgotten you. His timing is perfect. As you begin this month, choose faith over fear, prayer over worry and obedience over uncertainty. Morning Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of a new month. Thank You for preserving my life and giving me another opportunity to fulfill Your purpose. I surrender this month of September into Your hands. Guide my decisions, bless the work of my hands, open the right doors and give me wisdom for every opportunity. Remove fear, doubt and discouragement from my heart. Let Your mercy, favour and faithfulness follow me throughout this month. May September be filled with purpose, peace, progress and testimonies. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Today’s Declaration “I enter this new month with faith. God goes before me, His mercy is upon me and His purpose for my life will prevail.” Have a blessed and fruitful September!

For eight years I built this silence. Revealing bits and pieces before truly understanding the full dream behind The Luminary Collective... 'DearRouth' at one point followed by Kinder Mal and here we are again round 3.0 I have waited until now. Not because I didn't have the words. Because I was afraid of who would see them. People who knew me in darker seasons. People who saw who I was before I understood who I was becoming. And somewhere in my head, posting something faith-filled felt like claiming something I hadn't earned the right to claim yet. But here's what I've come to know: You don't have to arrive before you show up. You just have to be honest about where you are. If you've been hiding - I see you. Come be part of something where you don't have to. Link in bio. 🌙 #christianwomen #faithjourney #luminarycollective #showingup #graceisrealhttps://https://

The Story Behind the Hymns. THE STORY BEHIND "MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD" Some hymns belong to a church while others become part of the history of a people. “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord,” widely known as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” belongs to the second category. Its story is tied to one of the darkest chapters in American history: the Civil War, a conflict that split the United States and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Slavery stood at the centre of the crisis, and the question of whether a nation could call itself free while millions remained enslaved had become impossible to avoid. In 1861, Julia Ward Howe, a writer, poet and abolitionist, was in Washington, D.C., when she encountered Union troops singing “John Brown’s Body,” a marching song already popular among soldiers. The tune stayed with her. Someone suggested that she write new words for it. She did. According to Howe’s own account, the words came to her in the early hours of the morning. She woke with the opening line in her mind and began writing, afraid that the verses would escape her if she waited for daylight. “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…” What followed was not a conventional hymn of comfort. Howe wrote with the language of the Old Testament prophets — judgment, wrath, righteousness and redemption. The battlefield became the setting for a larger moral argument. “He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.” The line was stark and so was the time in which it was written. The hymn was published in the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It quickly found an audience among Union supporters and soldiers, giving words to a cause that many believed demanded more than military victory. The fight, in the hymn’s telling, was bound to a moral reckoning. Then came the line that would outlive the war: “His truth is marching on.” Those five words helped turn a Civil War song into an enduring hymn. For soldiers heading into battle, the words could sound like a declaration of faith. For abolitionists, they carried the promise that slavery would not have the final word. For families waiting at home, the hymn gave voice to the uncertainty, grief and conviction that defined the period. Its reach did not end when the guns fell silent. “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” went on to become one of the most recognisable songs in American religious and public life. It has been heard in churches, at memorials, political gatherings, military ceremonies and historic moments across generations. Its power however, lies in more than its stirring melody. It was born at a time when America was asking whether freedom could survive its own contradictions. Julia Ward Howe answered with a poem that placed justice at the centre of the national struggle. More than a century and a half later, the words remain remarkably direct. They remind us that history is not always changed in grand halls or on battlefields. Sometimes it begins in the early hours of the morning, with a writer reaching for a pen before the words disappear. Julia Ward Howe picked up that pen and what she wrote became a song that generations would sing long after the war that inspired it had passed into history. “His truth is marching on.” That is the line that remains. Not simply as music but as a declaration.

Need to know. The claim that Jesus never existed falls apart when the evidence outside the Bible is examined. The New Testament is not the only source that tells us about Jesus of Nazareth. Ancient writers from outside Christianity also wrote about Jesus, His followers, His execution, and the movement that spread in His name. Some were Roman historians. One was a Jewish historian. Others were pagan critics or hostile Jewish sources. They had no reason to help Christianity, yet their writings point back to the same historical person. Tacitus, the Roman historian, records that Christus suffered the death penalty under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius and that His followers were called Christians. Suetonius records disturbances among the Jews connected with “Chrestus,” while Pliny the Younger describes Christians gathering and singing hymns to Christ “as to a god.” These were not Christian writers defending the Bible. They were outsiders describing the people who followed Jesus. Then there is Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian. Josephus was not a Christian trying to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet when he writes about James, he identifies him as “the brother of Jesus who was called Christ.” That short statement is incredibly important. Josephus does not stop to explain who Jesus was or argue that Jesus really existed. He simply uses Jesus to identify James. Jesus was already a known historical figure, and Josephus refers to Him as “Jesus who was called Christ.” This is one of the clearest pieces of non-Christian evidence for Jesus anywhere in the ancient world. Josephus also refers to Jesus in the famous Testimonium Flavianum, which speaks about Jesus, His ministry, His crucifixion under Pilate, and His followers. Regardless of the later debate over the exact wording of that passage, Josephus’s separate reference to James remains. The evidence is sitting right there in the writings of a first-century Jewish historian: Jesus existed, James was His brother, and Jesus was known as the Christ. The evidence becomes even more powerful when we look at people who opposed Christianity. Celsus, a second-century pagan critic, attacked Christianity and mocked the claims Christians made about Jesus. Yet his attacks assume that Jesus was a real person. His writings preserve traditions about Jesus’ birth, His family, and the miraculous claims made about Him. The Babylonian Talmud also preserves hostile traditions about Jesus, including accusations of sorcery and a tradition that He was executed on the eve of Passover. Mara bar Serapion, a non-Christian Syrian writer, speaks of a wise king of the Jews whose teachings continued after his death—a description that points directly to Jesus. Think about what this means. These sources were not trying to help Christians. Some were trying to discredit them. Yet they still point back to Jesus as a real person. They did not describe Him as a fictional character invented centuries later. They attacked Him, mocked Him, or preserved hostile traditions about Him because there was a real historical figure at the center of the Christian movement. Two other names are often overlooked: Thallus and Phlegon. Their original writings have been lost, but later ancient writers preserved reports about what they wrote. Julius Africanus connects Thallus’s discussion of an unusual darkness with the darkness associated with the crucifixion of Jesus. Phlegon is also reported by later writers as describing an extraordinary darkness and an earthquake during the reign of Tiberius. We do not have the original books of Thallus and Phlegon today, but we do have ancient testimony reporting what they wrote. That matters. These accounts add another layer to the ancient evidence surrounding the death of Jesus. The point is not that these two writers prove every detail of the Gospel accounts by themselves. The point is that even ancient writers outside Christianity were remembered as recording extraordinary events connected with the very time when the New Testament places the crucifixion. Now put all nine witnesses together: Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, Celsus, the Talmud, Mara bar Serapion, Thallus, and Phlegon. This is not one Christian writer making one claim. This is a collection of ancient voices coming from different backgrounds and different parts of the Roman world. They point to Jesus, His followers, His execution, His identity as Christ, and the movement that spread in His name. The evidence is overwhelming when viewed as a whole. Jesus was not a mythical character invented hundreds of years after the fact. He was a real first-century Jewish man who gathered followers, was called the Christ, was executed under Pontius Pilate, and left behind a movement that spread throughout the Roman world. The very people who rejected Christianity still left behind evidence that Jesus was a real person. And this destroys the claim that Jesus was simply invented. The question is not whether there is evidence that Jesus existed. There is. The question is why anyone would ignore this substantial body of ancient testimony simply because it is not found in the Bible. Tacitus connects Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Josephus identifies James as the brother of Jesus who was called Christ. Pliny records Christians worshiping Him. Suetonius records disturbances connected with the movement surrounding Him. Celsus attacks the claims made about Him. Jewish tradition preserves hostile accusations against Him. Mara bar Serapion remembers a wise Jewish king whose teachings survived His death. And ancient reports connected with Thallus and Phlegon preserve traditions about extraordinary events surrounding the time of His death. The evidence does not disappear because it comes from outside the Bible. In fact, that is precisely what makes these witnesses so important. They were not writing the New Testament. They were not preaching the Gospel. Some were not even friendly toward Christianity. Yet they still point back to the same historical person. Jesus Christ was not a myth invented by Christians. He was a real man who lived in first-century Judea, gathered followers, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and left behind a movement that changed the world. The historical record does not erase Jesus—it confirms that He was there.

Did you know? The sanctuary was not merely an ancient place of worship. It was God’s illustrated plan of redemption. Scripture calls the earthly sanctuary a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). Its services were symbolic, pointing beyond themselves to the saving work of Christ. Every part taught something. The sacrifices revealed that sin brings death and that forgiveness requires the shedding of blood. The priesthood revealed the need for a mediator between God and man. The daily ministry showed how confessed sin was dealt with through the blood of the sacrifice. The Day of Atonement revealed a final work of cleansing, judgment, and the ultimate removal of sin. Even the yearly feasts followed the same redemptive pattern. Passover pointed to Christ our sacrifice. Unleavened Bread pointed to His sinless life and burial. Firstfruits pointed to His resurrection. Pentecost pointed to the inauguration of the heavenly sanctuary and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Trumpets announced the approaching judgment. The Day of Atonement pointed to the final judgement ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Tabernacles pointed forward to the final gathering and dwelling of God with His redeemed people. This is why the sanctuary matters. The cross cannot be separated from the priesthood. The sacrifice cannot be separated from the ministry of the blood. And the daily service cannot be separated from the final cleansing on the Day of Atonement. Together, the sanctuary, its sacrifices, its priesthood, and its feasts form one connected prophetic picture of the entire work of redemption—from the death of Christ to the final removal of sin. “Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary.” — Psalm 77:13 Hebrews 8:5 • Hebrews 9:9, 23–24 • Colossians 2:16–17

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST 2026 TOPIC: DON’T OVERWORK YOURSELF, PART 2 MEMORIZE: "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17 (KJV) BIBLE READING: EXODUS 20:8-11 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. MESSAGE: When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I was so concerned about the church’s growth that I would fast, pray, and preach for years without taking any rest or going on holiday. Suddenly, I discovered that whenever I preached for more than 15 minutes, I would lose my voice. I followed numerous recommendations from people to combat the issue, such as drinking tea with honey, but it persisted. One elderly woman discovered what was wrong with me and said, “You are suffering from what is called ‘teacher’s disease’. You keep teaching without resting your voice, and now it is in rebellion.” I asked her for the cure, and she said, “Don’t talk for 15 days.” I responded, “How am I going to do that with my busy schedule?” She answered and said, “When your voice no longer lasts for up to five minutes when you preach, you’ll do what I said.” Therefore, for the first time since became General Overseer, I took a holiday and went to Germany. I stayed with the Nigerian ambassador there, who had a sauna in his house. He told me that it warms the body from the inside out, and when I enter, I must exit after 15 minutes at most because I would have been sweating profusely. I went into the sauna, and 5 minutes later, I hadn’t sweated. Ten minutes later, I still hadn’t sweated. It wasn’t until after 15 minutes, when I was supposed to be out, that I began to notice a little sweat. I stayed in the sauna for 45 minutes before any real sweat came out. I had put my body under so much stress that it wasn’t functioning as it should anymore. Since then, I have learned that I must not overwork myself and must rest from time to time if I am going to fulfil the assignment that God has given me. In Exodus 20:1-17, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, and you will notice that four of the verses emphasise the law of the Sabbath. God emphasised the need for His people to rest on the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. To emphasise its importance, God revisited the issue of the Sabbath in Exodus 31:12-17, instructing Moses that anyone who violated the law of the Sabbath should be put to death. Beloved, getting rest from time to time is important. When you rest as often as you ought to, you will keep yourself refreshed and preserve your life. KEY POINT: You must always find time to rest if you want to fulfil your God-given assignment. BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 21-22 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE HYMNAL 59: I WANT TO BE LIKE JESUS 1. I want to be like Jesus, So lowly and so meek; For no one marked an angry word That ever heard him speak. Refrain: I want to be like Jesus, God's well beloved Son; I want to be like Jesus, The pure and holy One. 2. I want to be like Jesus, So frequently in prayer; Alone upon the mountain top, He met his Father there. [Refrain] 3. I want to be like Jesus, Engaged in doing good, So that of me it may be said, He hath done what he could. [Refrain] 4. Alas! I'm not like Jesus, As any one may see; Thy gentle Spirit, Savior, send, And make me like to thee. [Refrain] PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL. Sunday 30th August 2026 DON'T OVERWORK YOURSELF. Part 2 ‎ ‎PRAYER POINTS 1.Father, thank You for the work of creation. Thank You for the perfection of all Your works and making them all beautiful. 2.Father, it wouldn't have been a hard thing for You to complete the work of creation in a twinkle of an eye because You are the Almighty God but You decided to show us a pattern and an order of perfection; what a Awesome God You are. 3.Father, thank You for Your promise to give me rest for all my labours. 4.Father, please help me never to ignore the need to rest when I ought to, so i can fulfill Your assignment for me on earth, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, please help me to know when and how to take adequate rest from time to time, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, please help me not to overwork myself so I wont suffer a breakdown when it matters most, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, please help me to rest so I can remain refreshed to fulfill Your purpose for my life, in Jesus' name. 8.Father, please help me not to neglect the bodily signs for rest, so my life will be preserved from sudden destruction, in Jesus' name. 9.Father, please grant me satisfaction in all the works You have committed into my hands so I can enjoy a good rest, in Jesus' name. 10.Father, please help me to complete the assignment You have committed into my hands and to enjoy eternal rest with You, in Jesus'name. 11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. ‎ Please grant him wisdom to enjoy rest in the assignment You have given him, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name ‎ ‎12.Father, please bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, with wisdom and favour. Answer all his prayers beyond measure, and all those who have been broadcasting them, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎13.Father, please let every challenge and temptations, hindrance and obstacles of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name. ‎ ‎14.Your personal petitions. ‎(Philippians 4:6) ‎ ‎15.In Jesus name I pray. ‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16) ‎ ‎#Godblessournation These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.