Biblepraise Fellowship Online

Advent is a season of waiting, hope, and reflection. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are reminded that God’s intervention changes the course of history. Advent symbolizes that even in the face of despair, the story isn’t over. It is a time to remember that when all seems lost, God is faithful to bring restoration and life.The word “Advent” comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” It is a time when Christians prepare their hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth while also anticipating His second coming. During this season, we reflect on themes of waiting, watching, and trusting in God’s promises, even when the outcome seems uncertain.In the time leading up to Jesus’ birth, Israel had been waiting for the Mess...

Life is full of moments that seem to have inevitable outcomes—situations where, if left to their own course, would end in disaster, defeat, or despair. Yet, time and again in Scripture, we find two simple yet powerful words: "But God." These words remind us that God’s intervention changes everything. What could have been tragic or hopeless, when God steps in, turns into something transformative, miraculous, and life-giving.The Power of Divine InterventionThe phrase "But God" appears repeatedly in the Bible, emphasising how human limits are met by God’s limitless power. When the situation seemed beyond help, God stepped in, altering the course of history, lives, and destinies. This truth inspires modern-day Christians because it...

As we approached the end of the year 2023, a familiar hymn from my secondary school days came to mind. It's incredible how the words penned by composers centuries ago remain relevant today, despite the changes over the years. The hymn, "Our God, Our Help In Ages Past," written by Isaac Watts in 1719, holds a special place in my heart.The first verse of the hymn resonates with my personal experiences. Towards the end of last year, I faced a severe illness that landed me in the hospital. This unexpected turn of events left my usually active self physically incapacitated and mentally drained. Despite the challenges, the knowledge that God, along with the prayers from my family and church community, sustained me through the difficult period.During my reco...

In an earlier article, I shared my thoughts on the God who sees. In this piece, I will like to draw your attention to the God who knows.Being human, we are limited by the things we know. There is so much about the universe we live in that we don’t know. Netflix recently released a TV show titled, Surviving Death. I only watched the 1st episode because the other episodes seem to focus more about mediums which I don’t care about. The question scientists were asking was, ‘What happens after death? There was also the question of how people who had been certified dead were able to use their senses when science says, the brain stops functioning after death. I believe that science is only asking the question that scripture already answers for us.Not knowing...

No doubt, 2020 has been a year many around the world couldn’t wait to see the end of. So many things happened in that year that a lot of us have never experienced before. If not anything, the sheer number of people who have died and are still dying directly or indirectly from being infected with COVID has been staggering and unfortunately, this has dovetailed into the beginning of 2021.I have personally not experienced any year since I was born, when Church buildings were closed for services for months on end. I currently live in a part of England which is in the highest tier of COVID restrictions, preventing my Church from opening our doors for services. At this time, there is speculation that restrictions will be tightened up nationwide in order to curb the rate of i...

As many countries implement various measures to tackle the spread of Coronavirus, I couldn’t help but think of the role that the Church should be playing at this critical time.A few days ago, I was sharing with my wife my thoughts on the effect of the coronavirus lockdown on many churches which meant they could not open their doors to the public. It dawned on me that it didn’t matter whether the church building was a small community hall sitting 20 people or a mega church sitting 50,000 - they were all empty.  One fact emerges from this thought, the Church is not made of buildings. No matter how wonderful and lovely they are, how big or small they are, how organised or structured they are, at this time in history, they have become unus...

Unless you have been living in another planet within the last few weeks, by now you already know of Coronavirus which the World Health Organisation recently declared as a global pandemic. Little did anyone know that what started as a localised infection in a small community in China would eventually move swiftly across borders infecting and killing people in various countries of the world.Expectedly, the immediate reaction of many has been fear. Governments of many countries have closed schools, restricted movement and taken measures to ensure that the virus does not spread among its populace. Anywhere you turn, you can see that people are afraid although as it is typical for the British, many are putting up a brave face although you can see them flinch if yo...

Life is all about stories and these stories are woven into a complex tapestry revealing the journey of a man or woman through life. From the moment a baby is born, a story begins. Some of these stories are made made up of other stories, while others are seemingly stand-alone stories with a start and an end. Stories are very important. Stories need to be told in order to convey facts that may be required to save a life out to establish the truth. When you are ill and visit a Doctor, the first thing he or she asks you is, ‘Can you tell me what the problem is?’ Most often than not, the patient begins to tell his story. The Doctor, seeking further information will often ask more questions which in turn will generate another set of stories. Analysing those stories co...

As a year rolls towards its end, many of us reflect on how the out-going year has been for us in terms of the choices and decisions we made and how that affected both us and the people around us. We also think about events that have happened to us and how it impacted our lives either positively or negatively.Reflecting on the past is good as it helps us see areas where we need to improve or lifestyles we need to change for our own good and for the good of others. Once we have done that however, we need to move on to focus on the future.  It is easy to get stuck in one place if we do not leave the past behind. We can fall into the trap of living in past glory that we do not see the need to improve until it is too late. In the same vein,...

Another year is around the corner and as usual, we look ahead to the new year with hope and expectations of good things to come. For others however, the start of the new year may be a scary and frightening one due to many reasons. It could be a debt due to be repaid or an impending life changing surgery with a 50-50 chance of survival. The bottom line is, the emergence of a new year can be that of hopeful excitement or terrifying expectations.For Christians however, we have a sure foundation. Isaiah 33:6, “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure”. As I look back into the outgoing year, one re-occurring decimal has been the faithfulness of God to me and...

I have recently been spending some time on a chapter in the Bible - Hebrews 11. This chapter is often referred to as the Hall of faith due mainly to the fact that it lists the men and women who lived exemplary lives of faith.One thing I noticed about these people was that there was nothing superhuman about them. They were men and women just like you and I. What set them apart was that they decided on a course of action which changed not only their lives but also the destiny of nations.The chapter starts with a definition of faith “as the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. It goes further to say, “This is what the ancients were commended for” (Hebrews 11: 1- 2) One thing that strikes me abou...

For the Christian, prayer is simply our direct line to God and it is always on 24/7. My children know how frustrated I get whenever I call them and I get sent to voicemail either because they exhausted their phone batteries and didn't recharge or they placed their phones somewhere while they were elsewhere. When praying to God, you can be sure that there is no point of failure. When we pray in Jesus name, heaven hears us instantly. There is no linking from one communication tower or network to another. It is instant and immediate!Having defined what prayer is, the next logical question is, "Who is qualified to pray?" The only qualification for prayer is having a right standing with God. Without this, prayer is more of a wish list and a gamble. Naturally, the follo...

A commentary on Acts 3: 1-10.As a child, I learnt the art of understand certain 'looks' my mum gave my brothers and I when we were in public and she did not want to voice out her reaction.The looks varied, depending on the severity of our behaviour. Sometimes, you could sense that she was annoyed and other times, you could tell that you were in trouble whenever we got back home.When people look at you, what do they see? Do they see a person who cares for them or do they see someone who is focused on self?One day, Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. As they got the the template gate called beautiful, they saw a man who was lame from birth. Every day, he would be carried by others to thi...

On Thursday June 23, 2016, the people of Great Britain went to the polls to decide the future on England, whether to stay or remain in the entity called the European Union.

Before this time, campaigners had done all they could to convince the electorate which way to vote. Unfortunately, twenty-four hours before the vote was scheduled to begin, many were still undecided. On Friday June 24, 2016, to the surprise of many, a majority of the British voters decided to leave the European Union.

Since this historic decision, there has been a cloud of uncertainty over the future of Great Britain with many seeing the decision to leave the EU as death knell to what was once referred to as Great Britain. While many who voted to leave have been jubilating, there have been reports of people lament...

Have you noticed how candid the Bible is about its heroes? It doesn’t whitewash the flaws and foibles of its characters.
Abraham is not only the Father of All Who Believe but the scared rabbit who puts his wife in jeopardy to save his neck. King David is not only the Man After God’s Heart but the adulterer who lies and kills a man to try to keep the affair from being exposed.
Peter is not only First Among Equals in the band of apostles but the frightened fisherman who denies knowing Jesus of Nazareth in his hour of need – not once, but three times.

So how can these people be “saints” and “examples” to the rest of us? How are we supposed to find hope and encouragement from reading their stories?
That que...

Everyone hopes for something. Children hope their parents will care for them and buy them nice things. Employees hope for a raise at work. Voters hope their chosen candidate will address their concerns. Hope is what drives humanity; it is an essential ingredient for survival. A person without hope is paralysed by fear. No matter how dire the circumstances, there is always hope that tomorrow will bring good fortune.In ordinary usage, hope refers to something good we want to happen in the future or a confident feeling about what will happen in the future. This shows that hope relates to the future – something that has not happened but which we desire to happen.However, there is no guarantee that what we desire will actually happen. We see this with poli...

I was awake but my eyes were still closed. I could hear the footsteps of people hurrying off to work and the sound of distant traffic.
I had finished my secondary education a couple of years before then and would have loved to seek admission to the university like my other friends, some of whom were already in school. The reality of the situation told me that would not be a possibility for now. What I needed was a job. If I could save up for a few months, maybe I would have enough to seek admission into the university.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

By now the excitement that heralded the start of  the year has waned. The hopes and aspirations of the new  year for many is beginning to look bleak and the future looks so uncertain.  It is back to the daily grind and the harsh reality of today.

For many, the year did not start on a good note – it was not the way they would have wished to start the year. In Somerset,  South West England, it has been a devastation caused by floods. Homes and businesses have been under water for weeks, causing people to evacuate their homes and sources of livelihood.



For many others, it has been the loss of a loved one or source o...

As one year ends and another one begins, it is usual for people to review their lives in the out-going year and  make projections into the new year. 


 

Some people make resolutions based on changes they want to make in the new year. These resolutions are often made to curtail habits or to achieve something significant.  What happens most times is that these resolutions are most often than not broken within the first few weeks into the new year.

In our present age, it is so easy to become depressed and overwhelmed. There are many issues within and without that continually threaten our peace of mind. Some of these pressures could be internal;  like for instance, when we feel a sense of sinfulness which often leads to guilt and a sense of inadequacy.





Another thing that  could threaten our peace of mind is fear and worry.  We worry about our past actions and what effect it may have on our future, we worry about whether our investment today will yield anything worthwhile in the future to justify the investment, we worry about the children and the pressures...