Joel Kwesi Baidoo

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16) To bear witness or give a testimony is to say what you know, have seen or heard about someone or a given situation. Though the ninth commandment seems to primarily have its expression in a judicial context, the lessons embedded therein can be generally applied to everyday life. In our everyday court of casual conversations, when people's reputation are put on trial, what do you say about people behind their backs? Do you speak the truth in love or do you exaggerate people's shortcomings to gain a reputational advantage? When you maliciously speak ill of your colleague in the presence of your  boss to get an unfair advantage, know that you are breaking the ninth commandment. Most workplaces and political arenas are filled with false testimonies. This is simply a manifestation of the greed and selfishness in the hearts of men. Competition, which is one of the cardinal marks of our age, can practically

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." (2 Corinthians 9:6) One of the most basic laws of nature, and yet so easily forgotten, is the law of sowing and reaping. We easily forget that the harvest we receive depends on the kind of investments we make. It's important to keep in mind that sowing is equal to losing now, and harvest is equal to gaining later. In your relationships, if you invest more time, attention, and resources, you will reap greater benefits from the people you relate with. Sow generously into any area of your life that you expect a bumper harvest. Is it your family life, ministry, academic, or professional life? Sow generously! "The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow," says James Allen, the British philosopher of the nineteenth century. Therefore, as Robert Louis Stevenson advises, "Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you

For seven years the Jews had been under oppression by the Midianites. The oppression was so strong that the Israelites were practically shuddering in fear. They hid themselves in clefts and caves, and basically stayed out of trouble as much as they could.  In the midst of this seemingly impregnable crisis, a young man by name Gideon had a divine visitation. Per human standards and the tradition of the Jews, he hardly qualified to be a leader of the people. The reason why God chose him is best known to God Himself. This was the salutation Gideon received from the angel of the Lord: When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." (Judges 6:12) "Mighty warrior?" Gideon was both surprised and confused at this greeting. Considering his present predicament and social status, he wondered if the divine message had been delivered to the wrong address. But God's word was direct and firm: The LORD turned to him and said, &quo

"You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15) Today, we delve into the eighth commandment. Literally, to steal is to take something that belongs to another person without their permission. It is to illegally take possession of something that is not yours. The Hebrew word translated as "steal" has both literal and figurative connotations. Taken broadly, it implies to deceive. Stealing creates a false picture of who you are and what you have.  Cheating in an examination to earn grades you do not deserve, bribing your way into a position you do not merit, over invoicing, taking payment for a service not rendered or partially rendered, submitting a false report, to mention a few, are all forms of stealing. Ignoring the eighth commandment leads to corruption of all kinds which destroys any society. Stealing is one of the leading causes of poverty in most naturally resourced African countries. "Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness."

"But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (2 Corinthians 8:7) The grace of giving is so vital that although the Corinthian Church was excelling in many things, Paul admonished them to see to it that they also excel in this grace of giving. Giving positions you as a channel of blessing. We must remember the words of our Lord Jesus that "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Winston Churchill put it this way: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." Giving was the ultimate demonstration of God's love for us. It is also the ultimate demonstration of our love for one another. "For God so loved the world that he gave…" (John 3:16) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:16) Giving g

"But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (2 Corinthians 8:7) The word "Grace" from the Greek word "Charis" has a dual meaning: firstly, the unmerited favour of God; and secondly, a divine influence on man or a supernatural ability to perform. It is this grace that enables us to do the extraordinary- things we never thought we could do. It is the grace of God that helps us to do what pleases Him and to refrain from what displeases Him. The grace to do something can be desired and cultivated. Here, in particular, the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Corinthian Church to see to it that they also excel in the grace of giving in addition to all the many things they are already good at. No matter what you are already good at, you can desire for the grace to do more things well. The first lesson here is to avoid complacency.

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16) We have been on the same theme for the past two days, and today, we wrap up on this subject of the social life of the believer.  There is no agreement between the temple of God and idols. The temple of God symbolizes God's presence - a place God resides. In this context therefore, an idol is a physical representation of the presence of any other spiritual force other than God. We are talking here about spiritual atmospheres - the presence of deities. Here, Paul is teaching a deep principle - the principle of discernment - which must guide us in our social life. We must not be ignorant of the spiritual atmospheres we expose ourselves to. "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…&quo

"What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?..." (2 Corinthians 6:15) This is a sequel to yesterday's lesson. Here, Apostle Paul poses a rhetorical question to contrast Christ with Belial. We can only understand Paul's point better if we isolate and study each party in detail. Remember first of all that from the previous verse, Paul begins to contrast opposite concepts in a series of rhetorical questions. The first is righteousness and wickedness, then light and darkness. Christ and Belial is the third in the series. This suggests that the two concepts are being projected as opposites of each other. Christ, the anointed one, is a representation of God. Belial, on the other hand, personifies the devil. But its root meaning is more revealing. The word 'Belial' is a compound Greek word which means "without worth or use" or "worthless." The devil is appareled in the cloak of worthlessness.  Now, here is the crux of today's message: bew