Monthly Archives: November 2019

MEMORISE:
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

READ: Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

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.

MESSAGE

As God’s chosen people, we need to realise that God has designed man to be His partners in His created order. Knowing this truth is essential for the easy fulfilment of our destiny in life. To understand the kind of partnership we have with God, we must go back to the beginning of creation to see the reason why we were created. Speaking on this, Genesis 1:26 says:

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Our place as partners with God in ruling His created world becomes clearer when we consider the specific assignments God gave to Adam after he was created. According to Genesis 2:15 & 19:

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it….. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.”

It is interesting to note that even after sin disrupted the initial arrangement of the divine partnership that existed between God and man, God still choose to work with man to execute His salvation plan for mankind. The Holy spirit revealed the nature of this partnership long before it came to be, saying in Isaiah 7:14:

“ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

In fulfilment of this prophesy, Jesus Christ was born into the wordl through a partnership of the Holy Spirit with a human vessel, Mary (Luke 1:35). However, God’s partnership with man on the redemption of man kind did not end there. To execute His earthly ministry, God in human form, Jesus, also entered into partnership with man. Speaking on this partnership, Mark 3:14-15 says:

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:”

After His work on earth was done, He further commissioned His disciples to go into the world and preach the gospel. To populate the Father’s Kingdom, we His disciples must therefore play our part by preaching the gospel to the unsaved, even as He continues to intercede for us in heaven. Beloved, according to today’s memory verse, we are partners with God if truly we are His children. My prayer for you is that you will not disappoint His expectations in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me not to fail You as we work in partnership to fulfil Your will on earth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 36- 38

Amos 5:18-6:14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS.
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back

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MEMORISE:
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? Romans 8:24

READ: Mark 5:25-34

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

MESSAGE

What can anyone do without hope? Absolutely nothing! Every human being lives in the anticipation of a better tomorrow. It is the hope of a better government that makes the electorate troop out to the polling booth to vote out a bad government. The absence of hope leads to despair, and that is not the state a child of God should live in. the Christian life is built around hope, which is the anchor of our faith. The heroes of faith who have gone ahead of us all lived in hope and were comforted by it. Hebrews 11:13 says:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

The hope of living in the Kingdom of God in heaven produced a strong faith in them, which drove them to live blessed lives as strangers and pilgrims on earth.

Today’s Bible reading narrates how hope worked for the good of a woman with an issue of blood. Even when she had no reason to hope anymore, she kept hope alive that she would overcome her problem someday. When she heard about Jesus, hope produced a great sense of purpose in her heart and persuaded her to come out of her hiding place. As she left her hoem and struggled through the crowd around Jesus in hope, she kept on saying these words of Mark 5:28 to herself:

“……..If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

The forward-looking tone of her statement confirms the hope in her. Hope precedes faith, and without it there is no foundation for faith to stand on. This is the reason why we need to keep hope alive in ourselves as we live our daily lives in faith. Hope is so essential that an adage says, “if there is life, there is hope.” In other words, as long as you are still alive, there should be hope in you for a better tomorrow. Speaking along this same line, Ecclesiastes 9:4 says:

“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”

Indeed, hope is an essential part of human life.

Are you living in a state of hopelessness today? Please don’t contemplate suicide. No matter how things are for you, your condition is still better than that of someone else. Please keep your hope alive in God. Having Christ in you is the surest source of hope. He gives the hope of a glorious tomorrow to those who have allowed Him into their hearts (Colossians 1:27). Let Him come into your heart today and He will turn that hopeless situation around for good. It is well with your soul.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let my hope come alive, and teach me to trust You for a better tomorrow.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 33- 35 and Amos 5:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness hides His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne
Refrain

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MEMORISE:
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

READ: Psalm 23:1-6

1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

MESSAGE

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:14-15

This scripture reveals that as children of God, we should have the kind of confidence that David had when he penned words of Psalm 23:1. Why would a child of God not be in want? It is because the Shepherd of our lives, the Almighty God, is also our Provider. For this reason, our Good Shepherd makes us to lie down in green pastures, and as if that is not enough, this same Jehovah Rohi leads us besides the still waters. Psalm 23:3 reveals righteous living as another secret to a life of not being in want. Speaking of this, Proverbs 14:34 says:

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

In other words, if you do not want to suffer lack, live a holy life. The reason why I don’t need to be persuaded to live holy is because having tasted poverty in the real sense of it and also tasting a little life of abundance, I know that the latter is far better than the former, and I have traced the life of abundance I enjoy to the time I gave my life to Christ. So, I have made up my mind that I will be obedient to God’s word in its entirety, which is what holiness is all about.

When you study David’s life, you will discover that one of the secrets to his life of abundance is that he was fearless. Some people are afraid of venturing into projects or careers that would bring them abundant materia blessings because of the fear of death. Not David! Even when King Saul tried to persuade him not to fight Goliath for fear of him getting killed, he was not deterred (1 samuel 17:33). He boldly declared in Psalm 23:4 that though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil, because the Good Shepherd was with him. After he became king, he lacked nothing because he did not allow the fear of death to rule his life. To sum it all up, he said in Psalm 23:6:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

This verse is a great lesson to those who stop presenting themselves in worship before God in His sanctuary after receiving an initial blessing from Him. Consequently, their supplies dry up in a short while due to their ingratitude. To remain connected to the One who dailyloads you with benefits, abide in His presence and give Him the worship He deserves. When you continually do this, He will show Himself as the Mighty Provider in your life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I confess anew that you are the Shepherd of my life, please don’t let me lack any good thing that I need to fulfil my destiny.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 30-32
Amos 4:4-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness hides His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne
Refrain

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MEMORISE:
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

READ: Genesis 37:5-11

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

MESSAGE

Down through the ages, visualizing the future has always been one of the attributes of great men and women. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect example of a person who kept His focus on the future He saw ahead of Him. Today’s memory verse reveals that this attribute helped Him to accomplish His task on earth. He endured arrest, humiliation and death, even though He had the power to prevent it all, because He knew the glorious future awaiting Him after His work on earth was done. When He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and one of His disciples tried to defend Him by drawing his sword, Jesus commanded him to stand down, saying in Matthew 26:53-54:

“ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

Those who can visualize their glorious future ignore the present obstacle in their way, forging ahead to reach their goals. An example of such a person is Joseph. Even though his childish disposition exposed him to the fury of his brothers, resulting in his enslavement and imprisonment, the glorious future he saw kept him undeterred. He kept faith in God of his fathers and would not be corrupted by the promiscuity of his mater’s wife. In Genesis 39:9c, His response to her evil advances was this:
“how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Beloved, the ability to visualize the future will enable you work hard and live holy, even in the face of hardship, suffering and persecution. Students who catch a glimpse of the honor awaiting them at the end of their academic programme will ignore any suffering attached to their burning of the midnight candle. A pregnant woman endures the pain of labor because of the joy of another life coming through her. As a child of God, it takes seeing the glory awaiting us in the future to endure the attacks of the enemy. Having seen this future glory, Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 wrote:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

We must not allow the present situation in the world to becloud our vision of Heaven. Our Lord said we should not let our hearts be troubled, for He will soon return to take us home (John 14:1-3). We must keep this vision of the glorious future alive in our hearts.

ACTION POINT:
Father, let the vision of Your glorious return continually burn in my hreart in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 25-29

Amos 3:3-4:3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

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MEMORISE:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

READ: Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

MESSAGE

Our God is a benevolent God who gives generous rewards for good deeds. In Hebrews 11:6, He is called a “Rewarder of them that deligently seek Him”. Thank God that Jesus was very clear on what our rewards would be when Peter asked Him what would become of those who had left all to follow Him. In today’s Bible reading, He assuredly affirmed that all our labors in His kingdom would be adequately rewarded here and hereafter. As if our Lord knew that there would be a disciple like Enoch Adeboye who would also ask, “What about us, the latter-day generation of Your disciples?” He therefore added in Matthew 19:29:

“ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

Time and again, the Old Testament shows God rewarding good deeds in the lives of the patriarchs and matriachs of old. Abraham is a great example of this; he got a child of promise in old age as a reward for being hospitable (Genesis 1:8). The widow of Zarephath is another example; God provided her with food for three and a half years during a time of famine because she gave her last meal to God’s prophet (1 Kings 17:9-15). Obed-Edom accommodated the ark of God in his home and within three months, the rich King David envied him, because the great Rewarder had blessed him so much (2 Samuel 6:10-12). No wonder the Holy Spirit says in Hebrews 6:10:

“ For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Looking through the New Testament, we also see Peter who left everything at the Lake Gennesaret to follow Jesus now having at least one cathedral named after him in almost all nations of the world. Our God is the greatest giver of rewards. I therefore encourage you to serve Him with all your heart, you will not regret it. Even if your pastor seems not to acknowledge your service, your Father in heaven who sees your work for Him in secret will reward you in the open (Matthew 6:18). Be encouraged, and keep up your good work.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me to serve You with all my heart for who You are to me, and please don’t let me do anything that will cause me to lose my reward here and after.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-24

Amos2:4-3:2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way. Good

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MEMORISE:
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

READ: John 1:1-9

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

MESSAGE
Beloved, the Lord is asking you today if you are a shinning light in darkness. He is asking you this question because He has already declared who you are in this regard, saying in Matthew 5:14:
*“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”*

He therefore wants to know how well you have done in fulfilling His word. To remove doubts from the hearts of those who think perhaps the time to shine is sometime away in the future, the Holy Spirit said in Isaiah 60:1:

*“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.”*

Beloved, it is time to shine in this dark world. The darkness in the world is becoming thicker and more palpable by the day, and for this reason we have no more time to waste. We have allowed darkness and its agents to be comfortable for too long now. Some decades ago, when a Christian was present in an organization, no matter how young, small or low rank he was, the agents of darkness in that establishment could not be comfortable. It is however disheartening that nowadays Christians are not just making them comfortable, they are also joining them to perpetrate works of darkness. Such as fraudulent practices, looting and even modern occultism. While excusing themselves for not shining as light, some children of God say, “The agents of darkness are much more than the children of light.” They fail to recognize that even a little light is able to overcome any form of darkness, because the Bible says in John 1:5:
*“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”*

In order to successfully shine in a world filled with palpable darkness, you need to recognize that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, and He wants to shine through you to illuminate the darkness in this world (John 8:12). As the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ shines through you when you stand as His witness in words and lifestyle. In other words, you must speak of Him everywhere and also represent Him through your lifestyle. He has done His part by dying on the cross, and now He continues His priestly ministry in heaven, interceding for us at the right hand of power. He left us in the world to bear witness to the Light that He is, so that darkness may vanish from the world. We must not disappoint Him in this assignment. Beloved, we have no excuse for not shining in the darkness of this world. Although we have no power of our own, we have been empowered to shine through righteous living, good works and showing love to the oppressed and downtrodden. Let us therefore arise, shine and give glory to our Father as we drive away the darkness of evil in our society.

PRAYER POINT:
*Father, please don’t let my light be extinguished by the darkness of this world. *

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20
Amos1:1-2:3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7

READ: 1 Peter 4:1-10

1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

MESSAGE
Constrating the world of godliness with that of ungodliness, the Holy Spirit sent us this command, saying in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18:
“ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Because our God is a jealous God, He has always desired those who are called to be His special people to stand out as distinct from the ungodly. Enoch is a perfect example in this regard- God completely took him away to be with Him (Genesis 5:24). God also commanded Abraham to get out of his father’s house and country for an exclusive encounter with Him (Genesis 12:1-3). Beloved, God has not changed His standard of separation for consecration today. More than ever before, He wants us to take a stand for Him in these perilous times, especially as the devil is on rampage to gather as many people as possible to be with him in hell. Speaking on his rage and the urgency of his mission, Revelation 12:12 says:

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

If the devil had a short time when this verse was written, how much more now? We therefore need to be on our guard against his fury and wiles.

God is encountering you today to make up your mind not to compromise your Christian faith on any issue at all. One area of compromise is participating in the excesses of the children of this world: excesses of parties, clothing jewellery, leisure and so on. Due to extravagant living, a lot of chriatians have gone into debt in their bid to compete with treasury looters. Some Christians with access to the treasury have even joined the world in looting. What a shame! We must be on our watch so as not to be overtaken by the subtle advances of the devil, which can shipwreck our faith. This is why the Holy Spirt warns us in our memory verse to watch in the place of prayer. Beloved, are you really watching in prayer? You can only take a stand for God when your ears are open to what He is saying to you in the place of prayer concerning issues of your daily life. Our Lord told the disciples to watch and pray so that they might not enter into temptation, but instead of doing this, they fell asleep (Matthew 26:41). No wonder they could not take a stand for Him in His hour of tribulation (Matthew 26:55-75). Are you watching in the place of prayer today?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to always take a stand for You in this pervese generation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 13-16

Joel 3

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:

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8

READ: Daniel 3:14-18

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Daniel 3:28-30

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

MESSAGE

It is natural for every human being to desire to attain a higher position, output or level of productivity in every sphere of endeavor. However, it is sad that not everyone is ready to pay the price needed to attain this higher level. Do you desire to go higher in your pursuits in life? Anyone who desires advancement in their career, ministry, business or academics must acknowledge that in God’s created order, you cannot expect an output where there is not input. In other words, there is a price to pay to obtain anything good in life. In today’s memory verse, we have a good example in Daniel who desired to make excellent stride in his pursuits. When he and his friends were enrolled in the University of Babylon, they immediately determined in their hearts that they would graduate with first class honors and distinctions, even though they were in a strange land. To Daniel and his colleagues, it was necessary for them to defer the delicacies and luxurious lifestyle of a minister-in-making. The result of their choice to make sacrifices in order to achieve their goals is clearly seen in Daniel 1:20, which says:

“And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”

Our Bible reading further tells us about the price paid by three of Daniel’s colleagues before they were promoted to higher levels of their profession. The king they served had decreed that all his subjects must worship his graven image, but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declined to do so because they served a God who alone is worthy of worship. That decision was to cost them their lives, but rather than being bothered by this, they boasted of the saving power of their God, going further to tell the king that even if their God decided to take them home through the furnace, it would be better than bowing to a lifeless image made by men. The story ended with this great report in Daniel 3:30, saying:

“ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

God is looking for those who will take a stand for Him. Will He find you doing so in this world that pushes godliness to the background? Are you ready to stand on the principles of the Bible in a world controlled by the philosophy of men? The decision is yours to make. If people like Esther and the apostles of old could do it, you can do it too, and God will be glorified in your life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please take me to a higher level in all my life’s pursuits in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 9-12
Joel 2:18-32

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

READ: Psalm 24:3-6

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

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.

Hebrews 3:7-12
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

MESSAGE

Although God created man with glory and grandeur, this glory left him after sin entered his life. Thereafter, man became a shadow of his former self, because not only did God’s glory depart from his life, he was also sent packing from the garden of glory that used to be his home (Genesis 3:22-24). In the midst of this calamity, God devised a plan to redeem the destiny of mankind by raising a glorious generation to Himself from amongst men. However, this generation could only come to be through the righteousness of God, because a glorious generation is that generation that fears the Lord and walks in His righteousness. Describing the qualities of this generation, Psalm 24:4 says:
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

In other words, the glorious generation is that generation of people who walk in purity of heart, the works of whose hands are clean. The words of whose lips are pure and the souls of whom and sold-out-to God. We therefore deceive ourselves if we call ourselves the glorious generation but our character calls into question the holiness of God we claim to represent.

Children of God in this generation must endeavor not to be like the Israelites who were liberated from bondage in Egypt with the destiny of a glorious generation but ended up grieving the heart of God. It is sobering to read God’s description of that generation in Hebrews 3:10, saying;

“Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”

Unfortunately, this generation that was supposed to enter into God’s rest in a land flowing with milk and honey ended up perishing in the wilderness. This should serve as a great lesson to us today. Today’s memory verse declares that God has destined us to be a glorious generation. Nevertheless, we have to live a life that reflects we are indeed a glorious generation, through purity of heart, our manner of speech, the integrity of our works and a soul that is soul-out to God in love. Even through we live in a perverse world, we can still stand out as God’s shining standard. Beloved, remember that gold is brought out of dirt, so choose to be among the glorious generation that worships God in spirit and in truth, even in the midst of this crooked generation.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to represent Your glorious generation in all spheres of life in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 5-8
Joel 2:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE.

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
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.

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.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power 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.

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.

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