Monthly Archives: September 2021

MEMORISE:

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach Mark 3:14

READ: Acts 4:13-14
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

MESSAGE:
There are occasional followers of Jesus Christ and there are those who are permanent as well. The occasional followers of Jesus Christ typically opt not to live completely according to the Lord’s standards choosing what and when to obey. They chose a life of partial obedience to the word of God. Once, when Jesus was teaching these standards, the Bible says in John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

To be with Jesus means to live by His teachings. He once lamented in Luke 6:46 “ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” he said further in John 8:31-32 “…..If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Two things are clear in our Bible reading of today: One, if you have been with Jesus indeed, boldness will be your trademark. The Bible says:
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

When a so-called child of God is living in fear, we must check whether he has been with Jesus indeed. Two, someone who has been with Jesus lives a daily miraculous life. This is another trademark of genuine followers of Jesus Christ as we read in the text today. The Bible says:
“And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” Acts 4:14

I have taught in the School Disciples that what our Master Jesus did, we can do also, and even more, according to His promise. When this happens, we become genuine ambassadors of Christ on earth. As Christ’s ambassadors, we shall bring the whole world to their knees, saying “Jesus is Lord”. We are light and salt indeed if we choose to be with Jesus, living according to His standards, as written in the Bible. The blessings of being with Jesus include learning from Him and when we do so, we shall find rest for our souls, according to Matthew 11:29. If you are yet to give your life to Christ, make up your mind, not only to come to Jesus today, but also to stay put. Don’t be an occasional or casual follower of Christ.

ACTION POINT:
Make up your mind today to live the rest of your life for and with Jesus and you will be blessed indeed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 14-15.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING.
1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

o Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

5. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

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MEMORISE:

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

READ: John 6:11-13
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

MESSAGE:
There are many so-called praise songs that are not celebrating the beauty of God’s holiness and are thus unacceptable to the Lord. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving can produce abundant prosperity, according to our memory verse today. Let us consider prosperity through the sacrifice of thanks, as we see in today’s Bible reading.

We as children of God need to understand that God has numerous ways by which He can do whatever He says He will. We should not waste our time in trying to pre-empt God or dictating to Him how our blessings or prosperity should come. We are to simply pray for what we want with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).

When the battle against the children of Israel raged in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat merely obeyed the voice of the Lord by appointing choristers to sing unto God. Who would have thought that soldiers from the attacking nations would go to war with so many precious jewels and expensive clothes? God had purposed to bless His people because He knew from the onset that they would praise and bless the beauty of His holiness and He had to compensate them for giving Him His due!

Another lesson we must learn from this story is that our praise and worship must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Some of our so-called songs of praise are from our carnal man, not the Spirit.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:23-24

When we give God heartfelt praise and worship, He in turn showers us with blessings. However, if we deny Him the praise, He is worthy of, He would also deny us His prosperity. In the text of today, our Lord gave thanks upon five loaves and two fishes; the response of His Father was phenomenal- five thousand men were fed to satisfaction. Many of us are so ungrateful. How blessed we would be if we could learn to offer God the sacrifice of thanks.

Let us cultivate the habit of giving God worthy praise and thanksgiving and He will bless us with abundant prosperity.

ACTION POINT:
Decide to worship God in truth. In spirit and in holiness, giving thanks throughout today as you go about your activities.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 13.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.

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20

MEMORISE:

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 2 Chronicles 20:22

READ: 2 Chronicles 20:18-22
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

MESSAGE:
The issue of praise and worship cannot be over-emphasized. As a matter of fact, the primary and original reason God created man and indeed all things for His pleasure as we see in Revelation 4:10-11:
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Despite the fact that we are created for the purpose of praising and worshipping God, the Lord still daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19). One of these benefits is the victory that God gives to us when we sing His praise according to our Bible reading today.

Another thing we must learn from today’s reading is that the Bible says:
“…he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness….” 2 Chronicles 20:21

It is not all so-called praise and worship singers who are genuine and acceptable unto the Lord; some are unto the flesh. I have often told my children in the faith that they should be mindful of the type of song they sing in the name of praise or worship. Some of these songs are from the pit of hell, coated with Christian lyrics. Any song, display, dance, drama or general work of art that promotes promiscuity is unacceptable in the sight of God and will do the opposite of what genuine songs of praise and worship do. Our song should come from a pure heart, its presentation void of pride and ulterior motives.

It is unfortunate that the origins of some so-called songs of praise and worship are demonic shrines. They are so melodious and we embrace them without knowing the implication. From today, let us allow the Holy spirit to give us songs that the Trinity will appreciate. Let us sing of the beauty of God’s holiness for irreversible victory over our adversaries. It is only when our praise or worship is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit that it can indeed be an indomitable weapon of spiritual warfare.

ACTION POINT:
Commit to praising and worshipping God always.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23-24.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS NAME.

1. l hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!

3. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!

4. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!

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MEMORISE:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

READ: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

MESSAGE:
Towards the end of His earthly ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us an assignment, commonly called the Great Commission: to preach the gospel to every creature.

He however, mentioned the requirement that we would need before going out to witness to the whole world about Him- the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Embarking on the work of mission without the power of the Holy Spirit is suicidal. This is the reason we have casualties among modern day missionaries because some of them are not spiritually equipped. While they have the zeal, many lack spiritual empowerment for the work at this present time, just like Uzzah when the Ark of the Covenant was being moved.
“And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” 2 Samuel 6:6-7

Presumptuous sin killed Uzzah. This is the reason David prayed that God should deliver him from presumptuous sins:
“ Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins….” Psalm 19:13

We need to be endued in the holy Spirit before we can be effective missionaries. While the missionary mandate must be kept by genuine children of God, we must be sure to receive the power of the Holy Ghost before we start. We must therefore be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I pray that as many as are thirsty of the baptism of the Holy Spirit shall be satisfied with it today, in Jesus’ Name.

Going by the gift of the Holy Spirit offers us in the text of toady, we can see the reason every missionary and soulwinner must be possessed by the Holy Spirit. For example, the word of wisdom is necessary for effective evangelism. A preacher without the Holy Spirit is a mere orator. A missionary needs the gift of prophesy and discerning of spirits as a weapon against the deceit of the devil. Of course, without speaking and praying in tongues, a missionary’s prayer life would be in shambles. I pray that every soulwinner using this devotional today will be adequately equipped by the Holy Spirit for exploits, in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:
God is willing to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Ensure you rid yourself of all impurities that may hinder Him from coming into your life today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 21-22.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name,
in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

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20

MEMORISE:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

READ: Deuteronomy 7:12-18

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

MESSAGE:
When God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” in Genesis 1:26, little could anyone know what it would entail. By this divine decision, man was made responsible for his action and inactions because he is a small ‘’god’’ (Psalm 82:6). Man, therefore had to take responsibility for his livelihood after the fall in the Garden of Eden. In spite of the need of man to have a means of livelihood however, our Lord Jesus Christ still cautions:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

The memory verse of today reveals to us how to fulfil the law of fruitfulness. At creation, man lived in all-round abundance -physically, spiritually and materially because God bestowed His blessing upon him and his wife. With little effort, the man found great reward for his labor. This therefore shows us clearly that to be fruitful, you must have an intimate relationship with the Living God. The first law of fruitfulness is to make Jesus Christ our Lord- we must be born again, that is, we must agree with Romans 3:23 that “….all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, then quickly do something about it. This acceptance must be followed by the genuine repentance from our sins and unrighteousness.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

It is time the children of God understand the secret of fruitfulness: abiding in the Son of the Living God- the True Vine. We must leave behind every anxiety about what or who we want to become, focusing instead on living each day for God. The Bible says:
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

With the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, we are abundantly blessed of the Lord, and we know that God’s blessings make us rich without any added sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please open my eyes to see the secret of divine blessings, that I may align myself with it, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 19-20.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.*
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not.
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Refrain:

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain:

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20

MEMORISE:

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15

READ: Deuteronomy 18:9-13
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

MESSAGE:
The Almighty God is the greatest conservationist of all. Right from Genesis we read how God commanded Adam to make sure the beautiful garden He had given him did not suffer decay or any pollution, as we see in our memory verse today.

There are many ways one can pollute the land or any God given gift. The land can be polluted by sin of all sorts, particularly idolatry and human sacrifice. In today’s memory verse we are confronted with the seriousness God attaches to the preservation of His creation. In our Bible reading today, God outlined what His chosen people must avoid so that the land that was destined to flow with milk and honey might remain blessed perpetually, it reads in part:

“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.” Deuteronomy 18:9

Idolatry is the most grievous sin against God, according to Exodus 20:3. When Adam decided to obey the devil rather than the Lord, he chose another god for himself. Many people think idolatry is when you put an image on the ground and begin to worship it. There are idolaters in The Church- people who choose to obey the devil rather than God. They are always at Church programmes but never do what God wants them to do. The Bible says:
“ And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” Ezekiel 33:31

By disobeying the word of God, people pollute the land, bringing eternal curse upon themselves and generations after them. This was exactly what the first man did and God cursed the land because of him, according to Genesis 3:17. To keep the land which the Lord has given us to inhabit, we must obey Him and live according to His word, when we do this, our land will be free from evil and it will yield great increase for our pleasure, according to Deuteronomy 28:1-13.

I encourage you to give your life to Jesus Christ today and begin to leave according to the word of God from now.

ACTION POINT:
If you have polluted the land in any way, repent and call on God for forgiveness so that the time of refreshing may come from God upon your life (Acts 3:19).

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 17-18.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS.
1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey:
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer,
Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.

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20

MEMORISE:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8

READ: Genesis 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

MESSAGE:
The law of the Sabbath is not an end in itself but a means to an end and that is rest. Rest is a divine blessing which God bestowed upon His creation, particularly mankind. Even the land He gave man to inhabit must enjoy a sabbatical rest (Leviticus 25:2).

“ And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Genesis 2:2

Rest is not just a commandment from God, but also an act of divine benevolence. Exodus 20:8-11 says:
“ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Some children of God are not benefitting from the sabbatical ordinance because they are obsessed with the goals they have set for themselves. While it is good to set goals and have a vision for one’s future (Proverbs 29:18), you must be careful not to be a law breaker; you must not break the sabbatical law. You must take time to rest as and when due.

Another reason God would want us to observe the Sabbath is so that we may find time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. God desires that man should enjoy the labor of his hand. Solomon said:
“There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24

I pray that you will not labor for another person to enjoy your harvest, in Jesus’ name. This prayer can only be answered if you set aside at least a day every week to rest and commune with God.

ACTION POINT:
You may choose any day in the week to rest from all your labor (Romans 14:4-6), for good health- pleasing the Lord.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 15-16.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM, JESUS OUR BLESSED REDEEMER.

1. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long.

o Refrain:
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

2. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.

3. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.

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20

MEMORISE:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27

READ: Genesis 1:24-31
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 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.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

MESSAGE:
God decide to make man the chief of all His creation. This was in order to make the man overseer of all creation. God decided to make man a ‘small’ God – a similitude of Himself, to rule the earth on His behalf (John 10:34). Psalm 82:6 says we are gods. To be called a god is marvelous.
“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.” Genesis 1:27

God created man in His own image, blessed the man and gave him dominion over the whole of creation. However, this was not without clear-cut instructions on how the man should exercise his dominion. It is unfortunate that the 21st century Church is guilty of exercising unlimited freedom-acting as though Jesus Christ had saved us into lawlessness and unguided freedom. This is the reason human beings must live up to God’s expectation as ‘god’s’ to the rest of creation, according to Psalm 82:6. Apostle Paul asked in Romans 6:1-2:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

We must jealously guard our position in God’s creation and redemption. Our first parents lost it; we found it in Christ and so we must be careful not to take the grace of God for granted anymore. Jesus Christ restored us to this prestigious position and the Scripture confirms it thus:
“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

The divine assessment of the whole of creation is:
“ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…” Genesis 1:31

My prayer is that, in whatever way you may have fallen short of God’s perfection, may you be restored, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:
Find out those things in your life that have gone bad. Pray that God who redeemed you will restore those good things today, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 13-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: OH WHAT A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL DAY.

1. O what a wonderful wonderful day
Day I will never forget
After I’d wandered in darkness away
Jesus my Savior I met
O what a tender compassionate friend
He met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart

Refrain:
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul
When at the cross the Savior made me whole
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul

2. Born of the Spirit with life from above
Into God’s fam’ly divine
Justified fully through Calvary’s love
O what a standing is mine
And the transaction so quickly was made
When as a sinner I came
Took of the offer of grace
He did proffer He saved me
O praise His dear name

3. Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure
After the passing of time
I have a future in heaven for sure
There in those mansions sublime
And it’s because of that wonderful day
When at the cross I believed
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
From His precious hand I received

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MEMORISE:
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. Genesis 1:22

READ: Genesis 1:20-23
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

MESSAGE:
Our God is not just the God of creation, He is also the God of abundance. When God creates, He does not do so sparingly. He is still in the business of creation, according to John 5:17 which says:
“……My Father worketh hitherto, and I work…..”

This is why the provision He made in the universe has not been exhausted.

An end has come to every form of fruitlessness and lack in your life today, in Jesus’ name. Our God is also the God of variety- He created both great and small in different forms. This knowledge must have informed Apostle Paul’s assurance to the Philippians that the Almighty God would supply all their need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Another lesson we could learn from today’s reading is that God blessed His handwork to be fruitful and to multiply. We can thus see how foolish anyone would be if he or she agrees with the devil that God hates him or her. Our God is interested in the prosperity of His people. The Psalmist understood this and wrote:
“……let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalm 35:27

Nobody cares about us more than God. His care, mercy and love are incomparable. Jesus said in John 15:13:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Romans 8:32 also says “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

This is why He said in Luke 12:31:
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In light of the above therefore, trust God for all you need in life because His name is Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord our Provider). Do not cut corners to be rich; if you do, this would have grave consequences. May the God of abundance meet all your needs this season, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please meet me at the point of my needs today, according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 11-12.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN UPON LIFE’S BILLOWS YOU ARE TEMPEST TOSSED.
1. When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

o Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]

2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

4. So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

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MEMORISE:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1

READ: John 1:1-3

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.

MESSAGE:
There is power in the word of God. The word of God has creative power. The power in the word of God created space where there seemed to be none, according to our Bible reading for today.

The word of God will always make a way where there is no way and a space where there is no space. When the Israelites got to the Red Sea and it seemed that they were shut between it and the hosts of Pharaoh, the Lord spoke through Moses that they should move on. It takes faith in God to obey such a command, but thank God they did and their obedience paid off because the word made an expressway in the sea for them to pass through. Exodus 14:15-16 says:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

Another lesson we should learn here is that we should always talk of God about our challenge. Moses did this effectively and every time he did, God spoke. This made Moses a problem-solver because he always heard from God. Also, when God speaks, it is done. All that is required for the ultimate manifestation is for us to take the necessary action in obedience to His word. My life is a testimony of the power in the word of God. The word of God has increased my faith in the past and is still doing so. It was the word which came to me during a family devotion that strengthened me when we were trusting God for our first natural birth. Indeed, it came through one of the children as we were considering the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea when the power of God made a way where there was none. The Bible says in Exodus 14:16:
“But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it…”

It was Moses who divided the sea under the influence of God’s word. The word had established it ahead:
“….and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

The children of God moved forward in faith and it came to pass. We must be both hearers and doers of the word (James 1:22,25). My prayer for you is that, as you obey the word of God, you will begin to do the impossible, in Jesus; name.

ACTION POINT:
Examine your life and see if there are ways in which you have not been heeding God’s word. Repent so that you may begin to live in the supernatural from now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 7-8.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS NAME.

1. All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!

3. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!

4. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!

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