A Summary of Pastor Bella’s Message on Thursday, 15th October 2026

Listen to Sermon:

Biblical Text : 2 Corinthians 10:1–6

Introduction: Apostle Paul’s Apostolic Authority and Response to His Critics

Abide in the Lord your God and dwell in His presence. Do not be in a hurry to chase the world; be in a hurry to dwell in Him. Brethren, life is full of distractions. People of God, be still and know that He is there with you (Psalm 46:10, NKJV). He knows where it hurts, and He is saying, “Just trust Me.” Christianity is a relationship; we should seek direction from Him. Sometimes, we may have reached a point of no return in a difficult situation. We should go back to God, trust in Him, and abide in Him. We should hold on to His promises.

“I am holding on to the reminder that God is calling us into a deeper and more consistent relationship with Him. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity because it is in fellowship with Him that our hearts are renewed and transformed for good.”– IGG Mary

God is a lover; He wants us to be around Him. Many a time, we do not make time for Him. We give so many excuses and neglect our dwelling place. It will get to a point where we may be forced to come back to Him, especially in those moments when we are in a life-and-death situation. He gives us forcible rest during this period.

Dear God Men and God Girls, do we truly love God? Do we love Him, not for what He can do, but for who He truly is? Do we love being in His presence? As Psalm 91:1 (NKJV) says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Can we just love God? He is the air that we breathe; He is everything to us. God is up to something good. We should trust God’s process and know that He is leading us somewhere good towards something good. Ultimately, He is leading us to Heaven, a place of glory and beauty.

The most loving thing about our Father is that He is very interactive; He will communicate with us. Staying connected to God helps us understand the seasons we are in. Many people miss their seasons because they lack consistent fellowship with Him. We cannot afford to be disconnected and expect to discern His movements accurately.

We should prioritise God in everything. It is never by our own power that success comes to us. No one is self-made. Elohim, the Creator, created us. What we have achieved so far is only by His grace. In this regard, no matter what we are going through, we should just thank God for everything.

God is speaking through every available vessel. We should tune in and listen to what He has to say concerning us. This year, according to our prophecy, is “the hand of God”. God is about to do a new thing in our lives. There is something significant about that. The hand of God opens, and the hand of God shuts.

When we are struggling to achieve something and it seems that nothing is working, it is the right time to return to our dwelling place, the presence of God.

This is the time when the devil wants to attack us. We are already tired and frustrated; we understand how it feels. It can be so tiring, but we should remember the God of SUDDENLY! Suddenly, things are going to change if we can just stay. God is full of surprises; He is dynamic in His ways. On the contrary, the devil comes with discouragement and directs our minds towards depression. We must not allow the devil to mess up our minds. James 4:7 (NKJV) says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Interestingly, when a season is over, it cannot be rewound. That is the end of that chapter. When the Israelites crossed over into the Promised Land, the manna stopped appearing (Joshua 5:12, NKJV). Some of us are used to the manna level with God. We need to step up; there is a new level now. Does God trust us to the extent that if He blesses us right now, we will not make a mess of ourselves? 

If the devil’s voice is so loud, we should shut the devil up. 2026 is not over. Our God is the eleventh-hour miracle specialist. “He is the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Him to do?” (Jeremiah 32:27, NKJV)

Life is a journey. We should look back and reflect on what God has done in our lives. We should stay in His presence. In His presence, there is fullness of joy; in His presence, there is peace. Sometimes, all we have to do is be still.

God does not follow our numerical order of requests. He will come in at His appointed time, according to His own priorities. He will fulfil His promises concerning our most pressing needs in His time. God may make us wait for what others, who do not serve Him as we do, receive easily. Sometimes, it can be depressing, but we should not dwell in that emotion. We should reassure ourselves that God is still on the throne and that He will provide for our needs when we least expect it.

Sometimes, He brings our unexpected answers to prayer in the form of adversity. We should learn to be sensitive and thankful at all times. We should be joyful at all times; only by doing so can we maintain a positive outlook and respond positively. Remember, we will always have prayer points, even unto death. Hear this: something is happening behind the scenes for us. When it is time, it is time, because the appointed time has come, and the devil cannot stop it.

In the middle of tragedy, our good news can be delivered to us. Does this mean God is insensitive? No! Our God fashions everything for our growth. In adversity, He makes us stronger. God is intentional about our well-being.

It is easier when we are walking with God. He directs our affairs. God will put a new song on our lips (Psalm 40:3, NKJV). We should learn to stay in His presence; from it flows a stream of comfort.

When we partner with God, He simplifies every complexity. We should not try to figure out a way out on our own. We should let Him lead and direct us. His desires will become our desires, His thoughts will become ours, and His ways will appeal to us.

When Moses dwelt in the presence of the Lord for that long, the Bible says his face shone brightly, and he was transformed (Exodus 34:29–35, NKJV). That tells us a lot about our Father. When we dwell in His presence, we can never remain the same.

However, it is tough to remain still in the midst of chaos and problems. Trust me, we will be restless, but we should just focus on Him. He has seen the end from the very beginning. Our God is everything, so why are we afraid?

It is not over; there is more to come in our lives. Our stories are not over yet. We must not let the devil destroy our lives. We should watch how God works in our lives. Sometimes, that delay is to preserve us. Sometimes, that delay happens for our growth. If He gives us everything we ask for the instant we request it, how will we learn that there are processes and that there is a place of waiting?

When God presents something to us at the right time, it is always bigger than our expectations. When God fulfils His promises to us, we will realise that He is intentional and does not want us to lose. God’s design is never in error. God is coming into our situations; we are not alone. Yad Elohim (the hand of God) is there with us.

Message

Apostle Paul still took the time to teach the people about giving and being generous. Despite the criticism he received from them, similar to what Jesus experienced, he was not moved. As pastors and stewards of the Gospel, we will be attacked and mocked.

While going through these experiences, we should not be discouraged. As reformers, we are called to correct things. We should not cower when faced with hardship and confrontation. Reformers always stand for the truth. They live the lives they preach. They may not be perfect, but they are on course towards perfection.

 An important point to consider is that, as preachers, we should not neglect our households. It is indeed an error to preach the Gospel outside while our own households are not being mentored by us. The world is bold about its worldliness; why are we not bold about our godliness?

Apostle Paul addresses the criticism of his weakness and emphasises that, although he may appear physically weak, he is as bold as a lion when it comes to the Gospel. Note that it is not every time that we should show our lion side, nor is it every time that we should show our lamb side. We should be careful how we handle people and learn to use the right side of ourselves.

The same applies to writers. We have to be careful. Apostle Paul was a bold writer, but he had to use the right approach when speaking to the people. We need to read the room before we address it.

Apostle Paul had a meek side and a bold side. That bold side is needed when confronting sin. He specifies that there is a spiritual side and a fleshy side. Therefore, as Christians, we should know that our weapons of warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4, NKJV).

We have to pick our battles wisely. It is actually painful to be wrongfully accused, but God will raise defenders for us if we are on His side. It is also important to understand that when we love God, we will keep His commandments. This is similar to what happens when a marriage is conducted according to God’s will.

Let there be peace in our homes; we should not be at loggerheads with one another. Our partners are not perfect, and neither are we. This is similar to what Apostle Paul is saying: even when he is physically attacked by the people he preaches to, he will not respond according to the flesh.

As 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”

Apostle Paul is enlightened about the battles of life. He would not address issues through physical means. He knew that our strongest weapons are prayer and fasting. Through these, opposition can be overcome, and strongholds can be pulled down.

We should allow God to fight for us and cast down all vain thoughts. Even when the devil brings his report card, we should not listen to it. We should hold on to God’s promises. Colossians 2:14 (NKJV) says that Christ has wiped out “the handwriting of requirements that was against us”, taken it out of the way, and nailed it to the cross.

“I am so proud of you, Pastor Bella, for winning Jaiden over to the Lord’s side. You are gently teaching him step by step as he finds the Lord. I am glad he is no longer hearing those voices.” – IGM Joseph

Conclusion

Indeed, raising children is expensive, and God will require a lot from us. At the end of the day, He will ask us how we raised our children. May God help us to be the right role models for our children, our followers and those working closely with us. We cannot afford to get it wrong. This is a crucial time, as the devil is always seeking ways to derail God’s children from fulfilling their divine assignments. God can only fight for us if we are on His side. Whose side are we on?

Compiled by Scribes of the Most High

IGG Mary
IGM Joseph