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ICGC Seekers Temple, Mango Lane, Accra (2026)

19/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday 19th April 2022

JESUS SHOWS HIS HANDS

Scripture Reading: John 20

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.*John 20:20*

The Lord knew what His disciples were looking for. He knew the questions going on in their minds. Some of the disciples thought those who had seen Jesus had seen His ‘ghost’. The notion of seeing ghosts was part of their world view. Although they had heard about the resurrection, they were not sure if it was a bodily resurrection.

• Jesus showed them His hands and side. The disciples of Jesus were aware that He had been nailed to a cross. They knew how the crucifixion took place. They had also heard that a soldier had pierced His side with a spear. Those who buried Him had probably reported how deadly the wound to His side appeared.

If Jesus was a ‘ghost’ He would not have those wounds. If He had physically resurrected, He would have had to recover from the wounds that were inflicted on His body. Jesus gave them the most assuring evidence of His resurrection by showing them the wounds from His crucifixion.

• The disciples were glad about what they saw. His disciples knew that if those wounds could be healed so quickly, then the resurrection was real. They saw the print of the nails and the wound caused by the spear.

What the disciples saw that evening became the foundation of the Christian Faith. The Crucified Jesus is the Risen Lord. At the same time, we affirm that Risen Lord as the Crucified Christ. In that one moment, both the crucifixion and the resurrection become one. He is Christ the Redeemer, whose real death and real resurrection accomplished salvation for the whole person and the whole world.

The disciples were therefore “filled with joy” as they grasped that He who stood before them was their own Master, alive from the dead. What a joyful evening it must have been for them who saw Him; and for us who believe in Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, you have filled my life with Joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

17/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Sunday 17th April 2022

HE IS NOT HERE

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:1-10

_But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay._ *Matthew 28:5-6*

Hallelujah! Jesus is alive! The women who went to the tomb on resurrection morning were not expecting a risen Saviour. They had heard about all the predictions of Jesus concerning His death and resurrection, but the events of the last few days had shattered their hopes.

They had seen their powerful teacher and rabbi betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, judged, humiliated and crucified. They saw His agony on the cross and heard His gasps for life; and then death and burial. Hope was dead.

They went out that morning seeking for the Jesus who was crucified and encountered the Jesus who is risen. The angel’s announcement was at once frightening and exciting, ‘He is not here’.

What kind of Jesus are you looking for? Are you looking for a great teacher, religious leader and prophet who died two thousand years ago; or a risen Lord and Saviour who is alive and still at work?

If you go looking for a dead Jesus, you will not find Him but if you go looking for a risen Jesus, you will find new life and new hope.

Today the message of the angel still speaks to us, ‘He is not here’. You will not find Him in the grave. So where can we find Him? We can find Him at the right hand of the Father; you can find Him in the hearts of true believers; you can still find Him at work on the earth forgiving sins, changing lives and making people well. Jesus is Alive!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Help me to walk in the power of His resurrection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

15/04/2022

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 15th April 2022

CRUCIFIED

Scripture Reading: Luke 23:33-43

And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Luke 23:33

The death of Jesus Christ occurred under the most painful, humiliating, and embarrassing circumstances. The form of His death, the place of His death and the people He died with were all very, very humiliating to the Son of God.

• Crucified: Crucifixion was the cruelest punishment used by the Romans for grave offenders of their laws. This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to the scourge of the whip. The condemned one carried his own cross to the place of ex*****on, which was usually a public place.

• Calvary: Jesus was crucified at a place called Calvary in Latin or Golgotha in Hebrew. The name of the place meant ‘skull’. Some traditions refer to Calvary as a place outside the city which was also a place for dumping of the city’s garbage. Jesus was crucified outside the city gates and on a refuse dump. He came from heaven to die in the filthiest place in Jerusalem.

• Criminals: Although Jesus lived a holy life, He died hanging between two common thieves. Earlier that day, His life had been exchanged for that of a convicted murderer called Barabbas.

Today, the instrument of His death is the most recognized symbol of Christianity. The cross of death is now seen as the symbol of life; for on that cruel cross, our sins were nailed permanently. Calvary is the place of authority for us.

At Calvary, the price of sin was paid. In this place of public shame, God reached out to humanity in love and forgiveness. One of the criminals on the Cross is now the truest picture of God’s grace to save us from sin when we call on Him sincerely.

Jesus paid the most painful price in the foulest place between the lowest of men to give us access to God’s highest honour.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing your Son Jesus to die for me. I receive His life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

13/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Wednesday 13th April 2022

HE HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4

Jesus, as Messiah, takes upon himself the suffering of people and removes the sources of their pain. The prophet Isaiah gives us two of the reasons and benefits for the suffering of Christ on our behalf.

•He has borne our griefs. The word ‘grief’ in this context means diseases, sickness, anxiety and affliction. In Matthew 8:17, after Jesus had healed many people of various illnesses and demonic possession, we read that “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.’"

Jesus healed sicknesses because He carried our sicknesses for us.

The word ‘borne’ gives the idea of one who removes a burden from the shoulders of another, and places it on his own. Through His suffering and pain, Jesus removed the heavy burdens of our sicknesses and infirmities and placed them on Himself so that we can experience healing in our bodies.

•He has carried our sorrows. Not only did He bear our sicknesses in His own body, He also ‘carried our sorrows’. The word ‘sorrows’ here refers to ‘pains of the mind’. In other words, anxiety and mental harassment that leads to physical illness.

Many of us fight daily battles in our minds with fear, insecurity and anxiety. As we battle guilt and condemnation over our own actions and inadequacies, we must always bear in mind that Christ carried our mental anguish so that we can experience soundness of mind and peace.

All we need to do is to trust Him to carry our sorrows and give us the peace which surpasses all understanding.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, remove the burden of fear and guilt from me so that I can serve you in joy and peace.

12/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday 12th April 2022

A MAN OF SORROWS

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:3

Despised and rejected. Those are treatments that we do not accept from others. All human beings desire to be treated with respect. Our world being so conscious of protecting the dignity of human life has so many laws which guarantee respectful treatment for even the worst offenders.

In His moments of suffering, our Lord Jesus had all dignity and respect denied Him. He was treated with such contempt as we would treat a filthy rag in our homes. His torturers beat Him in the most sadistic way and used all imaginable forms of punishment in their attempt to reduce Him to nothingness.

A man of sorrows acquainted with grief. Jesus knows the worst of human pain and suffering. He knows the mischief that human beings can visit on other human beings. Because He was brought to the lowest level of contempt and disrespect, He has the capacity to feel all human suffering.

Not only can He feel our suffering, He also has the power to redeem us from our pains and suffering. He is a suffering Lord who conquered death and rose again to lift up those who are weighed down by the negatives of our world.

When you feel despised and rejected in life, do not despair and wallow in self-pity. You have a Saviour who has been where you are and sat where you sit. In your darkest hour, you can lift your eyes to Him and allow His power to raise you from the pits of human mistreatment into a new life of dignity and purpose.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, deliver me from all sorrows and griefs. Help me to live victoriously as your child. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

10/04/2022

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Sunday 10th April 2022

HOSANNA!

Scripture Reading: John 12

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” John 12:12–13

The word, ‘hosanna’ means ‘save now’. It was a call for salvation and deliverance from wrong or evil. It was also a proclamation of faith in the ability of God to save His people from trouble. It is a call for deliverance from clear and present danger. It is the call for deliverance from evil plots set to entrap us.

The multitudes that followed Jesus and welcomed Him on this trip to Jerusalem were in an expectant mood. They had either seen or heard accounts of the great miracles that Jesus had performed in the three short years of His ministry.

Some had expectations of a personal miracle that would solve some problems in their lives; others were expecting to hear some of those life-changing words from the lips of this mysterious humble rabbi; still others were expectant that Jesus would use His enormous powers to deliver them from the oppressive rule of the Romans. All of them cried, ‘Hosanna!’

Jesus came in humility. In the days of Jesus, kings did not ride on donkeys; they rode on horses. Donkeys were for the ordinary people. For anyone who was planning a majestic introduction, the most logical means of transportation would have been a horse with chariots and a large retinue of mounted squadrons. But Jesus chose the lowly donkey.

Jesus acted in the name of the Lord - ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’. That is the secret to success. We must learn to always move and act in the name of the Lord, and not in our own name. Jesus approached His mission in the name of the Lord.

Jesus did not come to fulfill every expectation of man. He came to fulfill those expectations that are godly and promised by God. True ‘Hosanna’ comes from the Highest – the Most High God. Hosanna in the Highest. When we call on the Lord for help we must be sure that our expectations are rooted in God’s word and His promises for us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my deliverer. Today, I proclaim, blessed are you O Lord. Hosanna in the highest! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

08/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 8th April 2022

JESUS’ PREFERENCE

Scripture Reading: John 12

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” John 12:7–8

After Judas had shown his sanctimonious disdain for Mary’s worship, the Lord Jesus responded to Judas. The Lord’s statement carried several messages. His statement had a rebuke, a commendation and His perspective on what Mary had done.
8th April 2022
• Jesus’ rebuke. The Lord issued a very sharp rebuke against Judas. He said, ‘let her alone’. This rebuke was done publicly and deliberately. The Lord knew Judas was a duplicitous fellow.

If there was anything Jesus had shown in His ministry, it was His dislike for hypocrisy. Judas might have taken this public rebuke very badly and from there firmed up his plans to betray Jesus.

• Jesus’ commendation. The Lord had high appreciation for Mary’s gesture. He understood the sincerity of Mary’s heart and the spiritual implication of her act. Jesus, publicly commended Mary and said, ‘she has kept this for my day of burial’.

No one around Jesus really believed that He would die, even though He had said it many times to them. Mary might have been the only one who truly took the words of Christ about His death to heart. She understood the burden that Jesus was carrying. She knew anyone facing such a momentous task of taking on the sins of the whole world would need some cheering up. Our Lord honoured Mary’s act of devotion and charged that it should be part of the message of the gospel.

• Jesus’ perspective. After rebuking Judas and commending Mary, the Lord gave His perspective on whether it was right to lavish Him with the costly fragrance or sell it and give the money to the poor. Jesus was always minded of the poor, but His answer helps us find the right balance between our direct devotion to God and taking care of the needy.

The Lord’s explanation shows that giving to the poor should not supersede our personal and direct devotion to God. We should not be so focused on helping the poor that we forget to make time to be in God’s presence to worship Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to always make You my priority. I choose to give my best in worship to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

06/04/2022

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Wednesday 6th April 2022

MARY’S WORSHIP

Scripture Reading: John 12

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. John 12:3

Mary was Martha’s sister. The two sisters showed their devotion to the Lord in different ways. This mirrors the Christian life - the devotion of some may be more intense in one area while others demonstrate their commitment to the Lord in other areas. Of the two sisters, Mary’s devotion is remembered more.

•Mary’s costly fragrance. Mary anointed Jesus with a pound of costly oil of spikenard. The verse details the worth of Mary’s fragrance. It was weighty and of great value; and this was what Mary poured on Jesus’ feet. It was a very generous and extravagant act of worship.

•Mary’s oil on Jesus’ feet. In culture of the day, the feet of guests or visitors were washed with water by the lowest of servants. It was not a pleasant responsibility to undertake. Unlike today, where we have asphalt roads and paved walkways, the environment of the day did not have such modern conveniences.

The streets were littered with animal waste and other materials that did not make washing the feet of guests convenient. Mary, though a hostess, became a servant and washed Jesus’ feet, not with water, but with fragrance. True devotion to the Lord, makes us place at Jesus’ feet, what is most valuable to us.

•Mary wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. After Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with her expensive oil, she wiped the oil with her hair. In her culture, a woman’s hair symbolized her glory. In essence, she placed her glory at the feet of Jesus. What a challenge her act of worship throws to us; to take what distinguishes us and makes us stand out – perhaps our ability, wealth, or influence – and give it to the Lord.

•Mary’s act of devotion was effusive. The fragrance of her worship filled the entire room and compound of the house they were in. Our acts of worship and devotion must inspire others to worship Him.

Prayer:nHeavenly Father, all I have is yours. Let the fragrance of my worship fill the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

05/04/2022

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday 5th April 2022

MARTHA’S SERVICE

Scripture Reading: John 12

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. John 12:2

Martha was Lazarus’ sister - the other sister was Mary. This family was very close to the Lord Jesus. When the Lord visited their home, they hosted Him with the traditional hospitality. Of the two sisters, Martha seemed to be more preoccupied with ensuring that the supper in honour of Jesus was served right.

Our Christian life begins with knowing the Lord, but that should not be the end of it. We must find ways to serve. Martha’s acts provide us a good example of this pattern of first knowing the Lord and serving Him.

• Serve the Lord. Martha showed her devotion to the Lord through her service. She had an eye for detail and wanted anything done for Christ to be done well. Her service of providing a meal for the Lord must be as greatly esteemed as the service of the other disciples.

In Martha, we see that knowing Jesus is not all there is for us. She and her family knew Jesus very well. In addition to knowing the Lord, Martha served the Lord. We must also seek out ways to serve the Lord and make our lives beneficial to Him.

• Serve the Lord’s people. The Lord Jesus was not the only one at the table. There were others such as the disciples of Jesus and visitors from the town. Jesus would often have a following everywhere He went.

Martha also served the people who were with Jesus. She cared for those that the Lord cared for. Our service should include other Christians as well as those who may not be Christians. Anyone who is precious to God must be precious to us.

In what areas are we serving the Lord?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to diligently serve you with my abilities; and care for those you care for. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

04/04/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Monday 4th April 2022

BEFORE THE PASSOVER

Scripture Reading: John 12

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. John 12:1–2

The gospel of John pays a lot of attention to the events and words of our Lord Jesus before He went to the cross. This chapter dates the events recorded therein to the last week before our Lord’s crucifixion. Jesus was fully aware of what was ahead of Him – betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. He knew it all.

Why did the Lord go to Bethany to the home of Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead? Perhaps He did that to point to His own death and resurrection – to remind His disciples of His impending resurrection.

The Passover was Israel’s first feast. It commemorated their deliverance from Pharaoh’s bo***ge in Egypt. It was a feast of salvation and deliverance. On the Passover night, God asked the children of Israel to sacrifice a lamb for each family. The blood of the lamb was to be smeared on the doorposts of the Jews. All Jews were to stay indoors with entrance to their homes covered with the blood of the lamb that was sacrificed.

That night, while judgment and dread fell on every Egyptian home, God spared the Jews because their homes were covered by the blood of the lamb. That same night, the children of Israel stepped out of Egypt after 430 years, most of which had been spent serving as slaves.

God had designed the salvation and deliverance of the whole world to coincide with the feast of Passover. That is why Jesus came into the world. He is the Lamb of God who would be sacrificed for the sins of the world. His blood would be offered for salvation. Those who took shelter in Him would be freed from Satan’s slavery.

When Jesus entered Bethany and went to the home of Lazarus, He knew who He was and what He had come to do. He knew He was the Lamb of God. He knew He would be killed, and His blood spilled. He also knew that those who believed in Him would have eternal life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my life. Thank you for sending your Son to give me life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

01/04/2022

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 1st April 2022

THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY

Scripture Reading: 1 John 2

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17

This passage has a clear spiritual focus that emphasizes that the things of the world, including the earth itself, are temporary.

• The world is passing away. Everything that the world offers is temporary. Only the things of God are eternal. That is how we should live our live as Christians. We must be mindful of the eternal and live for the eternal.

The things of the world seem to be of great value, but they are worthless when compared to the eternal blessings that come from doing the will of God.

The world is passing away like a decaying super structure. On the outside, everything seems impressive but internally, the forces of decay are at work. Our world, and the life it offers has an implicit sentence of death; its decay has begun. As it passes away, so does our capacity for enjoying it also come to an end.

• He who does the will of God abides forever. Here is the contrast. Those who live for the world, will pass away with the world. However, those who live for God will remain forever.

John exhorts us to live our lives as Jesus lived. While He was on this earth, our Lord was solely focused on doing the will of the Father. That is how we should also live. We must live our lives with eternity in mind.

We have before us, two ways of life: a life lived for eternity and a life lived for time. A worldly person lives for the pleasures of the flesh, but a dedicated Christian, lives for the joys of the Spirit. A worldly believer lives for what he can see, the lust of the eyes; but a spiritual believer lives for the unseen realities of God.

Seeing then, that the love of the world and the love of the Father are absolutely incompatible, which must we choose?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, turn my heart from the lust of this world. Help me to live for that which is eternal. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

30/03/2022

Living Word Devotional

Pastor Mensa Otabil

Wednesday 30th March 2022

DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

No matter how spiritually mature we are, we still need the voice of warning and exhortation, to keep us from the evils to which we are exposed. As believers, we have been brought out of “a world which lies in wickedness:” yet, we are still exposed to temptations. In addition, our flesh is unregenerated in nature and ever liable to be ensnared by sin.

What does the passage mean by ‘do not love the world or the things in the world?’ Does it mean the land, waters, vegetation, and animal life? Of course not. The world refers to the temporal pleasures that are opposed to that which is eternal. The world offers us things that make us happy now. Those whose only desire is to be happy in the here and now, do not seek for things that are eternal.

The scriptures do not teach that we should have nothing to do with anything that happens in our world. On the contrary, the Lord Jesus charges us to be salt to the earth and light to the world. We must engage our world without allowing its love of the temporary to become our priority. We must seek to point the world instead to what is eternal and godly.

The world offers sensual gratification and feeds our sense of self-importance. These are opposite to what Christ calls us to. Christ calls us to please God and serve others.

Those who live for physical pleasure alone cannot live for God as well. When we live for God, we love the things that are important to Him. We should see life from His point of view and live to please Him in all we do.

Where is your love? Is it for the short-term pleasures of the world, or the eternal purposes of God?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, turn my heart away from the things of the world. Let my desires only be towards you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

ICGC Seekers Temple

19/04/2022

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