Monthly Archives: November 2020

MEMORISE:

And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Genesis 26:2

READ: Genesis 26:1-4, 12-17

1. And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
2. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
3. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
4. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

12. Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.
13. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
14. For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.
15. For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
16. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
17. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

MESSAGE:

It is no longer news that every day, lots of people flock out of developing countries in search of greener pasture in developed nations. It is saddening when we hear of those who are so desperate that they go abroad through boats that are death traps or by walking through the deserts and terrible weather conditions. Thousands have died and many others have been kidnapped and used as sex slaves because they were so desperate to leave their country in search of greener pastures.

The principles of success are as effective in your nation as they are in the developed world, and as a Christian, you have a greater advantage in the word of God and the presence of His Holy Spirit in you.

Now, I am not saying you cannot achieve greatness anywhere aside from your home country, after all, Daniel and Joseph succeeded tremendously in Babylon and Egypt respectively. However, if you cross the borders without an instruction from God, you may be leaving God’s plans for you behind. You are to ask God where you ought to be per time and His direction will keep you on the right path. You may say “oh, but the situation in my country is not favorable at all”; well. Isaac was in such a situation too in Genesis 26, but God told him to stay in that same land in spite of the famine and he eventually prospered so much that he became the envy of the nation. God told him in Genesis 26:3:
“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee…”

This is all that you should be after: the presence of God with you. It is that same presence that made Joseph succeed, according to Genesis 39:2-3:
“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

Seek God’s face to know His will for your life. His presence will be with you as you obey Him and the works of your hands will prosper greatly in the mighty name of Jesus.

KEY POINT:

Only go where God has instructed you to go.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 17:1-18:18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.

1. 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.

o Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3. 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.

4. 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.­

Please follow and like us:

20

­MEMORISE:

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28

READ: James 1:12-16

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

MESSAGE:

Every temptation that a fellow yields to will lead to a bigger one. This is why many people are deep in sins they once vowed never to commit. The fall happens slowly until the fellow is completely submerged in sin.

The devil lures believers into sin so as to destroy them. This is his goal. To achieve this, he comes in subtle ways- first, with thoughts and seemingly harmless sins, focusing on the heart. He knows that if the heart can fall, it is only a matter of time before the body falls too. Proverbs 14:14 says:
“The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways…”

Your spiritual destiny would be determined by your decision to either accommodate or expel the subtle suggestions of the devil. When you start thinking of being in bed with a woman who is not your wife or you start spending money that is not your own, that is the devil trying to get you to fall, using your heart first.

The devil could also try to cut you away from the people who helped you grow in faith. When you consider the story of Samson, you will discover that he spent most of his time outside of Israel. If the devil can successfully separate you from people who helped you grow spiritually, and your prayer life begins to wax cold; before long, you would stop studying your Bible and start permitting sin in your life. This is why you must never forsake the fellowship of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25, Proverbs 27:17).

You may have yielded to temptation in the past, the good news is that restoration is possible. Though Samson fell, he was restored to the Lord before his death; so much so that he was listed among the fathers of faith in Hebrews 11. Proverbs 28:13 says:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If you would confess your sins, forsake them and rededicate your life (for backsliders), God is willing to accept you.

ACTION POINT:

Check your life. Are you yielding to the lure of the devil already? God is able to restore you if only you would ask Him for help.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Galatians 4-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: 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. 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.
. 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.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
MESSAGE:
Samson judged Israel for twenty years. He was an unusual child with wonderful parents (Judges 13:2-3). He was brought up as a Nazarite (Number 6:1-22, Judges 13:7), and this meant he had to lead a life of consecration unto the Lord. He was also a man of prayer (Judges 15:18 and 16:28), but he failed so terribly because he had not learned to bring his body under subjection like Paul did (1 Corinthians 9:27). Samson’s story is a strong warning to every Christian never to toy with sin. Imagine a judge of Israel lying in Delilah’s lap.
Samson started sinking into sin little by little. First, he fell in love with a strange woman (Judges 14:1-2), then disobeyed his parents when they told him he couldn’t marry her (Judges 14:3). Later on, he slept with a prostitute (Judges 16:1) before he finally landed in Delilah’s lap. Samuel did not worry because his supernatural strength remained even while he was committing sin. In fact, one day, he lifted the gates of the city and took them up a mountain just after sleeping with a prostitute (Judges 16:3). He did not see a need for caution because despite his misdeeds, the anointing appeared to still be on him. Little did he know that the devil was luring him to a place of no return. Samson, eventually landed in Delilah’s lap where he was afflicted and overpowered. While with Delilah, there were several warning signs but he had gotten so deep into sin that he could not stop. The devil lured Samson with seemingly harmless sins until he lost his strength, sight and purpose in life. Ezekiel 18:20 says:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die…”
Learn from Samson’s life. Those seemingly harmless sins you are committing and getting away with are simply baits from the devil to encourage you to go deeper. The devil is not stupid; he has planned a big downfall along the line. You must stop those sins now before it becomes too difficult to do so. Everything was okay for Samson years into when he started to fall, but in one night, he hit rock bottom. Learn from Samson and make amends while you have the chance.
KEY POINT:
Don’t be deceived; no sin is harmless. Every sin that goes unpunished is just an enticement towards damnation.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Galatians 1-3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.
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?
o Refrain:
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 Savior’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 the mansions 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,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

READ: Judges 7:1-15

1. Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

MESSAGE:

God’s directions may not always make sense to us, because as humans, we are too short-sighted to see what He does and too dull to think as He (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Gideon experienced the seeming illogicality of God’s direction firsthand. He thought he had been mistaken for someone else when the angel of God called him a man of valor. Gideon was cowardly but God had decided to use him to lead His people to victory over their enemy. Even when Gideon eventually accepted to lead the Israelites in battle, God still went ahead to prune his army of thirty-two thousand soldier down to just three hundred! Three hundred men against an army! Although it looked like an impossible mission, at the end of the day, Gideon was victorious. No matter how unreasonable an instruction from God may be, as long as it is from Him, it will surely end in victory. Isaiah 30:21 says:
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

We were preparing for a crusade in Benin many years ago. Everything had been set when I thought to talk to God about it. He told me we should go to Ede instead. We had just concluded a crusade in Ilesha (very close to Ede), and so I felt that anyone who wanted to come from Ede should have been at that crusade. However, since I have learnt never to disobey God, I told my people “God said we are going to Ede.” We went to Ede and when it was time for the monarch of the town to greet the people during the crusade, he said he did not have money, but offered us land in any quantity we desired. After the crusade, I called my people together and we decided to ask for fifty acres of land. That seemed like a lot, but when I went back to God, He said we should ask for five hundred hectares. This did not make any sense at all because the developed part of Ede was not that large, but I asked anyway. We got the land and today, the Mission School of RCCG as well as the Redeemer’s University are sited on that land.

KEY POINT:

Even if His instruction does not make sense, just trust Him and obey.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 15-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: IN CHRIST ALONE.

1.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

2.
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live.

3.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

4.
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

Please follow and like us:

20