Monthly Archives: October 2019

MEMORISE:
And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. John 6:2

READ: Matthew 19:1-2

1And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;

2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

MESSAGE

All through the gospels, we see that great multitudes followed Jesus wherever He went. One reason for this is the great miracles He performed in people’s lives. We see an example of this in today’s Bible reading, where great multitudes followed Him and He healed them. Jesus is still in the business of healing and performing miracles today. Those who teach that the days of miracle are over are wrong. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is risen from the dead and remains alive today and forevermore (Revelation 1:18). That same Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead and cleansed lepers can do the same works today because He is alive, working His miracles through His followers. The signs that the Lord said will follow those who believe indicate that the days of miracles are not over (Mark 16:15-18). Moreover, our Lord also said that we will do the works that He did and even do greater works than His (John 14:12). Some argue that these miraculous works ended with the early apostles of Jesus Christ. This is equally wrong, because while giving us the mandate of the Great Commission, our Lord said in Matthew 28:20:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

If He is with us today as He was with the apostles, then He will also do through us the works He did through them.

Nevertheless, as we proclaim the message of the good news, we must not be lopsided in our preaching or indulge in preaching half-truths. The totality of God’s word must be preached to all. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not imbalance in His teachings on the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, some preachers today tend to be like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ days by focusing on some aspects of Christ’s messages to the detriment of others. Such preachers should take heed take heed to Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:23, which says:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Jesus Christ is here saying, “I do not condemn you for teaching on tithing the tiniest income, but you left out some things that are more important, which you ought to do in addition to what you are doing already.” Brethren, how do we show people the reality of Jesus’ resurrection without manifesting His miracles? Even the most ardent critic cannot argue against physical proof of God’s power (John 4:48, Acts 1:3). When your local assembly becomes a miracle center, you will need little or no publicity before people begin to troop in to discover the Jesus whom you preach. Are signs and wonders following your declaration of the gospel?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please establish Your word in my mouth with signs, wonders and miracles.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 23-25

Revelation 5:1-6:2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: HOLD THE FORT.

1. Ho, my comrades, see the signal, waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.

o Refrain:
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.”

2. See the mighty host advancing, Satan leading on;
Mighty ones around us falling, courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving! Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s Name we triumph over every foe.

4. Fierce and long the battle rages, but our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander, cheer, my comrades, cheer!

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MEMORISE:

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Galatians 6:1

READ: John 8:1-11

1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

MESSAGE

There are many unpleasant prophesies about people’s attitude and character in the end times, which are bound to be fulfilled. It is the responsibility of every believer living in times as these to avoid the fulfilment of such prophecies in their lives. One of such properties is the abhorrent act of brother giving up brother to death and children rising up against their parents. The prophesies was given by the Lord in Matthew 10:21, which says:

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”

Unfortunately, this is happening in the Body of Christ today. He then further said in Matthew 18:7
“ Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”

Even though these prophesies of the Lord are bound to be fulfilled, do not allow them to be fulfilled in your life through your conduct and interpersonal relationship with the brethren. When an individual gives his life to Christ genuinely, he or she becomes a member of God’s family (john 1:12). All other believers in Christ become his or her brothers and sisters. In such a big and complex family, disagreements are bound to arise. A brother or sister may err and fall, but this should not be the end of their Christian journey. It is the responsibility of other members of the family to ensure that such precious souls and brought back to their feet in right standing with God.

Unfortunately, in these last days, instead of looking out to stabilize the weak and restore the fallen, some so-called brethren sit in judgement against other brethren. Some of them even mastermind the fall of fellow brethren, thereby fulfilling the Lord’s prophesies. Some other brethren do not cause the fall of others but watch out for faults in their lives in order to crucify them. Contrary to this attitude, the Holy Spirit admonishes us in today’s memory verse to work with every sense of humility towards restoring brethren who have fallen, understanding that we ourselves can be tempted and taken in our weaknesses. There are indeed modern-day Pharisees in the Church today. It is sad that brethren bury other brethren who are in spirit coma, instead of working to revive them of life. We must be like our Master who said in Luke 9:56a:

“For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

The Lord is speaking to those who have constituted themselves as accusers of other brethren to repent today. Are you one of such?

ACTION POINT:

With the help of the Holy Spirit, make efforts to restore those who have erred and have fallen into sin.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 21-22

Revelation 4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

Refrain

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain

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MEMORISE:

Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Psalm 105:15

READ: Psalm 24: 4-6

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

MESSAGE

Years ago, as we were preparing to ordain certain minsters, the Lord instructed me to include a particular minister for ordination. I protested this divine nomination because by my personal assessment, this person should not be considered for ordination yet. The Lord then explained to me why that particular minister should be ordained that year. The reason was amazing to me and I will forever be grateful to my Daddy for that revelation. According to my Daddy, the place where this minister was serving was rife with the activities of witchcraft and dominated by the power of divination, and so he needed the shield of the anointing against the onslaught of demons if I did not want his corpse to be brought back to me from the field at any time. In other words, the anointing received in the place of ordination is not a matter of title but an instrument of office or power to perform, and one of its functions is protecting its carriers from demonic attacks as they go about their divinely-designated as Christ’s ambassadors.

Many people despise ordination because some people who were ordained in the past rubbished it through their behavior. The truth is, ordination is a special spiritual shield against the spiritual attacks of the enemy. Spiritual warfare is more destructive that physical warfare and we cannot fight it with carnal weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4). Out of ignorance, some people reject the privilege of receiving the anointing in the name of being humble and modest. There is no virtue in rejecting the offer of being ordained by God, unless you are not sure of the source of the anointing that flows from that gesture. There are many things that can’t be done in the ministry by physical strength; only the power derived from the anointing does such things. Apart from being defensive weapon, the anointing is also an offensive weapon that destroys yokes (Isaiah 10:27). Just as electric current cannot be seen as it flows through a cable but is deadly when touched, so it is with the anointing. Its protective nature destroys the enemies of the anointed and all demonic yokes. This is why the Bible warns everyone not to touch the Lord’s anointed (Psalm 105:15). An example of someone who touched God’s anointed was King Herod, who decided to kill the Lord’s disciples in order to please the Jews. He was smitten by an angel of the Lord, died and was instantly eaten up by worms (Acts 12:1-3, 22-24).

Beloved, although the anointing comes through many means, the starting point is at Calvary where sins are rolled away through repentance. Righteousness is the bedrock of the anointing and the word of God prepares and leads us towards it (Hebrews 1:9). Beloved, live a life of holiness and you will be anointed, not only for service but also for protection. It is well with you.

PRAYER POINT:

Father please anoint my head for exploit and protection in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 18-20

Revelation 3:7-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: OH JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

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MEMORISE:
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

READ: Joshua 24:14-15

24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

MESSAGE

For those who belong to Jesus Christ, our understanding of family life should not be dictated by social media, TV or preconceived notions. The word of God alone provides us the template we are to model our family and home upon. Unfortunately, a lot of people have deviated from the precepts of the Bible regarding the way things are done in their family. In some families, children are wayward and parents don’t seem to be bothered about it. Some fathers are irresponsible men who go about chasing after strange women, while some mothers are unforgiving, bitter and over time have become cold towards their husbands. God definitely didn’t design homes to be like that! We therefore need to continuously work at building holy, godly and Christ-honouring homes. However, building a godly home requires conscious effort. The devil doesn’t want such homes to exist, and so he puts distractions and bad examples everywhere to deter us from building our homes the way God designed it to be. The good news is, with God, all things are possible to us who believe.

How then do we build godly homes? Psalms 34:11 says:

“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Parents must teach their children to fear the Lord, because the fear of God is a compass that guides families into making the right decisions and choices in life. To fear the Lord is to acknowledge and reverence Him at all times. A family that does not fear God will not serve Him.

A godly home requires a life of separation from the dictates of worldly norms. Although others might be doing wrong things, you can’t and won’t do them because you are peculiar unto God. Every day, Christian families have to draw the line and separate themselves from the increasing sinfulness and wickedness of this world. Parents have to continuously remind their children that they are in the world but not of the world, and so they are never to behave like the children of the world. I pray that all our homes will become godly homes in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:
Let your children always know that your family stands for Jesus Christ in all things.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 16-17, Revelation 2:18-3:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: GOD, GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES

1. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught
Homes where the Master’s will is sought
Homes crowned with beauty Thy love hath wrought
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes

2. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the father is true and strong
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong
Homes that are joyous with love and song
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes

3. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the mother, in caring quest
Strives to show others Your way is best
Homes where the Lord is an honoured guest
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes

4. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes.

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MEMORISE:
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10

READ: Luke 6:27-36

6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

MESSAGE

When you consider the reason why God overthrew the world by the flood, you will realise that it is His overflowing love that has preserved our world till now. If God were to apply to our world the same standard He applied to Sodom and Gomorrah, it would have been totally destroyed by now. Instead of judging the world, God’s overflowing love has provided a means of escape from His judgement to all those who are willing to accept it. John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is the kind of love that God expects us to manifest towards other human beings, most especially those in the household of faith (1 John 3:15-16).

In today’s Bible reading, God commands us to show overflowing love not only to our loved ones but even to our enemies (Luke 6:27-28). According to Romans 13:10, love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord Himself established this truth when a young lawyer came to cross-examine Him on which commandment of the law is the greatest (Matthew 22:35-40). Jesus answered him by simply summarising the whole of the law this way: love for God and love for our neighbours. In Matthew 22:40, He emphatically said:

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Beloved, are you really godly? Remember that only the godly will make it to heaven. The character of those who are godly is love: God’s own type of love which overflows. For our love to overflow like His, we must love even those who despitefully use us. In Matthew 5:45, our Lord says:

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

This appropriately describes what God’s overflowing love looks like. For our preaching to be effective to sinners who don’t know the real meaning of love, we must convey our message practically through a life of overflowing love. Let us give heed to the Holy Spirit’s message to us in 1 John 3:18, which says:

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

Are you demonstrating love in deed and in truth?

ACTION POINT:
Where is the love of God in you when your brother is in need and you close your eyes of compassion to him? Think about this and repent.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 13-15, Revelation 2:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

1 Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2 Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

3 Deeper, deeper! tho’ it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

4 Deeper, higher, ev’ry day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

5 Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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MEMORISE:
Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. John 16:32

READ: John 6:25-69

6:25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

6:36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

6:43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

6:48 I am that bread of life.

6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

6:59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?

6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

MESSAGE

According to the worldly way of thinking, one needs to belong to the mainstream majority in order to make appreciable impact. Against this background, when one considers the humble birth of Jesus Christ and the “strange” doctrines He taught, one is left wondering how He was able to accomplish all He did while here on earth, and He is still making impact even while in heaven (Mark 1:27, Luke 5:26). How come He was successful, even though His peculiar teachings caused many of His disciples to desert Him (John 6:66)? What gave Him strength and resilience even when His closest allies ran away in His darkest hour (Matthew 26:56)? The answer to all this lies in what the Holy Spirit says in Acts 10:38:

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; *_for God was with him._*”

In essence, Jesus was in the divine majority, even when it seemed He was alone. He spoke the words of today’s memory verse to His disciples, from which we understand that walking in agreement with the Father was all that mattered to Him. No wonder He felt so much pain when the Father looked away from Him as He embodied sin on the cross (Mark 15:34, Habakkuk 1:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

It is therefore amazing that some Christians cannot take any stand that is contrary to popular opinion, even when it relates to the Father’s will. Some pastors moderate their sermons when they observe that their congregation numbers are dropping. Some even dabble into things that chase the presence of the Father far away from them in order to pull crowds to themselves. Such pastors are foolish and do not know the ways of God. When the crowd murmured at Jesus’ teachings, instead of backing down, He delved deeper, so much so that many of them ran away. In spite of that, He turned to those who were left and asked if they also wanted to leave! The secret behind the successful ministry of Jesus Christ was that God the Father was with Him throughout. What a great lesson this is to us! The truth is that Jesus Himself never left God the Father; they were in communion at all times. He would not do anything without the Father’s approval. Before He preached, He would have taken counsel from God the Father and the Holy Spirit – this was the spiritual majority that mattered to Him. Beloved, are you in the world’s majority or God’s majority? Are you yearning to become part of the world’s majority due to the ridicule you suffer for being godly? Please choose to stay in the spiritual majority. Jesus Christ was alone with His Father and it was more than enough for Him to do the unprecedented. It is more than enough for you too.

KEY POINT:
Those who stand with God against the world will stand out with Him in glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 11-12, Revelation 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey

Chorus:
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey

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MEMORISE:
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

READ: Acts 2:37-42

2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

MESSAGE

Advancements in science and technology have attained a level where most organs in the human body can be replaced with organs from a donor’s body, through a medical procedure known as a transplant. Nevertheless, long before human beings discovered how to do this, God has been in the business of carrying out transplants, both in the physical body and spiritual being of man. Unlike transplants carried out by man, the Surgeon of heaven uses only brand new parts, custom-made to perfectly meet His patients’ needs. One area of need lies in the fact that mankind is dead in sin. God knew that for us to receive new life through the Blood of Jesus, we would need a new heart. God committed Himself to doing just that in today’s memory verse. Why does man need a heart transplant? The Holy Spirit answers this in Jeremiah 17:9 saying:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Everyone who has not laid on the operating table of the heavenly Surgeon possesses a stony heart, which is unreceptive of the things of God. As a result, the seed of God’s word cannot take root in it (Mark 4:5). To benefit from the abundant life available in the new covenant with Jesus Christ, we must surrender ourselves to God for the spiritual heart surgery that replaces our stony heart with a brand new heart of flesh.

Using His surgical knife that leaves no scar, the Surgeon of heaven is ready to work on every sincere patient who comes to Him. God’s surgical knife is His word. Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

We see this instrument at work in today’s Bible reading. When it had finished its work, three thousand souls were saved. How did it achieve this feat? Acts 2:37 says:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

God’s word, delivered by Peter, caused the hearts of its hearers to “bleed” as they were convicted of their sins. They experienced godly sorrow, which led to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). God also transplanted their stony hearts with brand new hearts of flesh in accordance with the prophecy in Ezekiel 36:26. Beloved, God still performs this spiritual surgery today. Are you wondering how you can be free from sin? Surrender yourself to God for a spiritual heart transplant. Confess your spiritual ailment of sin to God and ask Jesus to transplant your heart with His word, and you shall be made whole.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of flesh in which the seed of Your word grows, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 8-10, Daniel 12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS FOR THE CLEANSING POW’R

1 Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Chorus:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2 Are you walking daily by the Saviour’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3 When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white!
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for His presence bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4 Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

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MEMORISE:
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Colossians 3:13

READ: Colossians 3:12-15

3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

MESSAGE

To forgive is to decide to reject feelings of resentment between you and a person who has wronged you. This isn’t always easy, especially when a person has really hurt and trampled on you. However, forgiveness is a mandate for Christians; no one can profess to be a genuine Christian and not live a lifestyle of forgiveness. Our Lord said to us in Matthew 6:15:

“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This verse clearly states what happens when we refuse to forgive anyone who wrongs us: we too will not be forgiven by our heavenly Father. In other words, forgiving our offenders isn’t just an instruction to be obeyed; it is a matter of life or death for us, because if our sins are not forgiven, then we are doomed eternally. Unforgiveness is therefore not something to be toyed with at all.

As partakers of His divine nature, God expects our forgiveness to take on the character of His forgiveness. For example, the Holy Spirit says in Jeremiah 31:34:

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

This verse is telling us that forgiveness should not be temporary. In other words, when you forgive, God expects you to forgive once and for all. As a child of God therefore, you don’t see someone you supposedly forgave months ago and immediately feel resentment for that fellow. When you forgive someone, you forever let go of every hurt and pain that the fellow caused you.

Another character of forgiveness is that it takes just one person to forgive. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation where the two parties involved are required to meet and make up. With forgiveness, you don’t have to wait for the person who offended you to come and apologise for whatever they did. You have to forgive even before being asked. Forgiveness is not about the fellow who offended you; it is about you and your relationship with God. Forgiveness is not easy. In fact, it can be extremely difficult to forgive, but as a Christian, you are required to forgive no matter how hard it is. Are you walking in forgiveness?

ACTION POINT:
Has anyone offended you? Forgive them today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 6-7, Daniel 11:29-45

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU

1. While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Chorus:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

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MEMORISE:
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18

READ: Proverbs 6:20-26

6:20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 6:21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 6:22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: 6:24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. 6:25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 6:26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

MESSAGE

One of the deadliest sins is sexual immorality of any kind, the reason being that the repercussions do not wait until the great White Throne judgement before stinging their victims (Revelation 20:11-12). The consequences include broken relationships, destroyed families, sexually transmitted diseases and much more. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit is warning us in today’s memory verse to flee from it. Sexual immorality carries a lot of evil baggage, the most grievous of which is spiritual in nature. For example, Reuben slept with his father’s wife and got an everlasting curse for it (Genesis 35:22, Genesis 49:1-4). Another example is Samson. Once a Nazarite consecrated to God, he lost his glory after allowing himself to fornicate with an idol worshipper who betrayed him. His two eyes were removed and he became a grinder of corn and an object of scorn in the temple of Dagon, the god of the Philistines (Judges 16:19-23).

The word of God is the sure refuge against the destructive sin of sexual immorality. Speaking in today’s Bible reading, the Holy Spirit shows us the way of escape we need, saying in Proverbs 6:23-24:

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.”

God’s word has power to shield us from falling prey to the seductive instincts of evil men and women. Only the wise who walk in the fear of God like Joseph did can escape this satanic snare. However, we can walk in the fear of God only if the word of God is hidden in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Speaking particularly, God’s word has forever established that extramarital wandering is forbidden. The Almighty God who knows the end from the beginning, knows what will be the end of that sexual escapade, and He forbids it. He says in Proverbs 6:25-26:

“Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”

God reveals in this scripture that sexual immorality hunts for the very best of mankind to destroy their future. Indeed, when you look through history, you will observe that sexual immorality has destroyed so many precious souls and destinies.

Beloved, I plead with you not to allow this age-long enemy of mankind to destroy you. If you are indulging in sexual immorality, repent, and if you are being tempted to go into it, run for your dear life like Joseph did. God bless you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to keep myself pure for You, and give me the strength of character to flee from all forms of sexual immorality in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 4-5, Daniel 11:14-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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