Monthly Archives: October 2021

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: John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

MESSAGE:
The Holy Spirit baptism is very important to every heaven-bound Christian for many reasons. The first is personality of the Baptizer- the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirt, being the third person in the Trinity, plays the role of the preservation of the believer after salvation. The Bible says “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30).

There are lots of virtues the Holy Spirit imparts on believers when they receive His baptism. For example, in our text today, we read of the flow of the rivers of living water- symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Just as water is very important for the survival of the physical wellbeing of man, so also the ‘living water’ or ‘water of life’ is very important for spiritual wellbeing. The spirit of a Christian can get dehydrated and ultimately become dormant due to the lack of this living water.

Another fundamental blessing from the Holy Spirt baptism is what we find in the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse- power. The disciples of old would not have been able to face the Jewish elders had they not received power from the Holy Ghost. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit there can be no power or boldness for Christians to evangelize and witness to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Acts 4:31:
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

The Holy Spirit also enable a believer to pray without ceasing when he or she speaks in tongues. This is the promise of our Lord in the Great Commission- that we shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).

Beloved, do you lack boldness as a Christian? Are you hesitant about sharing your conviction on the Lordship of Jesus? Are you rising and falling into sin because you think it is impossible to withstand the wiles of the devil? Are demonic forces tormenting you? Pray earnestly for the baptism of the Holy Spirt today and you will receive power and boldness for the victorious Christian living, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Lord, please send Your Holy Spirit to empower and embolden me now and always in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 15-19.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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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MEMORISE:
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

READ: Mark 16:15-18
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

MESSAGE:
Some Bible Scholars have classified damnation into three major categories- temporary, long-term and eternal. Temporary damnation may come as a result of an error in judgement after which the victim is vindicated. Long-term damnation could be for life here on earth, whereas eternal damnation- which is the worst, is forever. Our Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 12:4-5:
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Many people choose eternal damnation indirectly by escaping the temporary one that godly living may pose to them. In the midst of trials and tribulations, some children of God deny their Lord. We should never bow to the enticement of the devil. Rather, we should heed the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, although this may expose us to some temporary challenges. This is the reason Jesus said to His disciples:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

In order to escape eternal damnation, we must accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is unfortunate that there are many churchgoer today who do not really believe the gospel. Some think the gospel is no longer relevant. They believe that Christ came to redeem man from eternal damnation yet refuse to live by His standards, according to our Scripture reading of today. Accepting the gospel requires our submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives.

A true believer cannot do anything merely because he or she feels like. Everything a believer does must be in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17). We cannot afford to follow the world; rather, we must learn and follow God’s will at all times (1 John2:15-17). May the Lord give us hearing ears and obedient hearts to live according to His perfect will, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me follow and walk before You with a perfect heart, that I may escape eternal damnation, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 10-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 24: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE.
1. Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
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,
it shall be thy royal throne.

6. Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.

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MEMORISE:
And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 1 Samuel 15:28

READ: Acts 1:15-26
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

MESSAGE:
Many people do not know that God always has replacement for the people He appoints for one task or the other. God cannot be held ransom on any issue or event. This is the reason He always provides alternatives.

When a child of God becomes swollen-headed and he or she begins to disobey Him in matters like soulwinning, tithing, offering, payment of first fruit and so on, such a fellow is on the way to being replaced. I pray that you will successfully complete the assignments God has given you. He will not have cause to replace you with another person in Jesus’ name.

The betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot was predicted in Psalm 41:9 which says:
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Thus, before Judas Iscariot chose to be a betrayer, God had already seen it. Acts 1:16-26 says also that Mathias was chosen to replace Judas. My you never be replaced by God in kingdom projects, in Jesus’ name.

Another lesson we can learn from this as children of God is that whenever a way seems blocked, God has more than a thousand alternative ways to replace it. Romans 8:28 says
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Beloved, learning from the experience of King Saul and Judas Iscariot, we must be very careful about the way we lead our lives so that what happened to them may not happen to us. The Bible says “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” (1 Corinthian s 10:6).

God has alternatives for any child of His who would not be law-abiding. Let us therefore be wary of doing what would make God replace us with someone else. There are many examples of people who lost their enviable positions and by implication, their relevance in the society due to deliberate or careless mistakes.

Beware of divine replacement; serve the Lord diligently.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please never allow me to do anything that will cause You to replace me, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 5-9.

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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MEMORISE:
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: John 3:14

READ: Hebrews 12:1-2
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 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.

MESSAGE:
Human beings have been in search of the way back to their Maker since the fall of the first man. Man was sent out of the Garden of Eden and he became a wanderer, without the peace he once had when he had access to his Maker. This is the primary reason man invented various types of religions, hoping to access God through them.

God however, decided to reveal Himself to people like Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses among others who sincerely loved Him. This category of people received divine help to impact their generations by pointing them in the way to the Almighty God. Jesus said it plainly:
“…..I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

When one of Jesus’ disciples asked Him to reveal God the Father to them, Jesus responded by saying “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9)

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God the Father. It is through His teaching that we know that God is a Spirit and whoever wants to worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). He told us that unless we are born again, we cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). Religious activities are exercises in futility without this new birth experience. Until Jesus came, even scholars of the Jewish religious laws were ignorant of these principles of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, we must always look unto Him for direction if we want to make it back to the One who created us in His own image. Part of our Bible reading today says “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…..” (Hebrews 12:2).

Also, Jesus Christ Himself said in John 3:14-15:
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

I encourage you to look unto Jesus for salvation, deliverance, healing, breakthroughs and eternal life. You will experience abundant life here on earth and in eternity with God, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, as I look unto You, perfect everything concerning me now and forever, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 1-4.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: I HAVE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD HALLELUYAH.

1. I’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
This message unto you I’ll give,
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

o Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now, and live;
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

2. I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you,
’Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.

3. Life is offered unto you, hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.

4. I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole—
’Twas believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.

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MEMORISE:
And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD. 2 Samuel 6:21

READ: 2 Samuel 6:14-22
14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.

22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

MESSAGE:
We must consider practical ways of saying ‘Thank you’ to the Lord. When you are truly grateful to someone. It will be difficult to hide it. Your gratitude will be evident in everything you do and this truth is confirmed in today’s Bible reading. When David considered how he had been surviving both seen and unseen battles of life, he could not help dancing and leaping for his God.

The Almighty God has kept us alive to date, and like David, we must practically demonstrate our gratitude through dancing and offering of heartfelt praises to Him. For the preservation of our lives alone, we must bless the Lord. In Psalm 144:1, the Psalmist blesses the Lord for teaching his hands to war and directing his fingers to fight right. We must realize that not all fighters win the battles of life. This is what made David write:
“Bless the LORD, O my soul… Who redeemeth thy life from destruction…” Psalm 103:4

Considering the numerous battles David fought in His lifetime, particularly against King Saul and his own son- Absalom who staged a coup against him, one should know that but for God, David would have died a premature death. This why he described God’s benevolence as “lovingkindness” and “tender mercies”. Oh, how I wish we all would appreciate God’s kindness as much as David did. Moreover, David recognized that the mercies of God to him were of tender types- not one but many. Little wonder that in our Bible reading of today, he literally praised the Lord to the consternation of his wife who despised him for dancing passionately for the Lord.

Apparently, Michal had never seen her father- the former king praise God in that manner before so it was strange to her. Little wonder God replaced him with David, who would genuinely praise and worship Him.

A practical application of a heart of gratitude brings to mind the manifold blessings of God, it leads to genuine thanksgiving and appreciation of all the miracles and wonders of God that we receive daily. Let somebody shout Hallelujah!

ACTION POINT:
Take a minimum of fifteen minutes to thank God for His goodness and mercies over your life and those of your loved ones.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 20-24.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: PRAISE TO THE LORD ALMIGHTY.

1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

5. Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

6. Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him;
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

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MEMORISE:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

READ: Proverb 4:20-23.

20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

MESSAGE:
The heart is one the most vital organs required for man’s continued existence both physically and spiritually. Physically, the heart is required to sustain human existence and spiritually, it is also required to stay alive in the Lord. A popular adage says “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart”, meaning that the core issues of life are matters of the heart. This is exactly what our memory verse is saying.

The things that mould life come from the heart. The Bible says the heart is evil – deceitful, desperately wicked and who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). At conversion-when a person becomes born again, the heart is impacted and made receptive to the word of God. It therefore becomes a dwelling place for the word of God, so that it can be transformed to bring forth virtues, victories and so on. For this to occur however, God’s children must work constantly on their minds through studying, meditating on and memorizing the word of God.

Basically, a heart will be found in one of these states: (a) the roadside state (b) the stony state (c) the thorny state (d) the good-soil sate (Matthew 13:1-23). The state of an individual’s heart is determined by the fellow. The heart is the seat of knowledge but until knowledge is stored in it, the owner (of the heart) cannot benefit from it. Please ask yourself “What kind of knowledge do I receive and retain in my heart?”

It is also important to note that the mouth is the outlet to the heart (Matthew 12:34). Hence, a good relationship between the heart and the mouth determines the course of a man’s life- whether good or bad. In other words, the issues that mould a life stem from the heart through the mouth. Indeed, the state of the heart presents the true identity of a person. It is the first place God looks at before relating with man. We see this clearly in 1 Samuel 16:7 where God said:
“…….the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

What would God see if He were to look into your heart today?

ACTION POINT:
Examine your heart diligently today through the lens of Philippians 4:8 and pray for God’s help.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 10-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 21: ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME.
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

2. Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

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20

MEMORISE:

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4

READ: Ephesians 4:14-15.

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

MESSAGE:
It is one thing to choose the right partner in marriage and it is another to choose the right approach to courtship. A wrong approach to Christian courtship can still lead to problems or failure even when the right choice has been made. Therefore, believers in courtship must be holy through if they would eat the good of the land of marriage (Isaiah 1:19).

Sister, you must know that a man will typically be at his best during courtship. He would call you by different pet names, please you and make you feel secure. However, once the wedding ceremony is over and you begin to live together, his shortcomings will be more exposed to you. The saying that ‘love is blind’ may appear true but the one that also says ‘marriage is an eye opener’ has equally been proven to be true now and again.

Men are however not the only ones guilty of this. Brother, you will also discover a lot more about the personality of your wife after the wedding ceremony. This is why the world recommends that couples should cohabit during courtship but should this be found among children of God? The simple answer is “No!”
Ephesians 4:14 says:
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”

The fact that you are in courtship does not give you the license to begin to cohabit. ‘Trial marriage’ has no place in Christianity; it is whoredom. Some so-called sisters also try to seduce naïve brothers to get them pregnant and the result is what the world calls a ‘shotgun marriage’- one not properly prepared for. God abhors this seriously (Hebrews 13:4).

Christian courtship must be characterized with sincerity. You must be able to share your past and present experiences with your would-be spouse. You both should also lay your future bare in the hands of Jesus Christ. While there may be sincere disagreements during courtship, you would have to prayerfully re-evaluated it if the relationship is rift with troubles from the sinful demands of your partners. A broken courtship is better than a broken marriage. Be warned!

PRAYER POINT:
Ask the Almighty God to guide our youths such that Christians courtships will culminate in holy wedlock and glorious marriages.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 5-9.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR.
1. I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Ev’ry hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee ev’ry hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.

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20

MEMORISE:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14

READ: 1 King 11:1-11

1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

MESSAGE:

Apart from the choice of whom to serve, the choice of a life partner in marriage is another fundamental decision that can affect a person’s destiny positively or negatively. A wrong choice in marriage may override the choice to serve God. Solomon chose to marry many strange women and they influenced him to forsake God and serve idols. The choice of a life partner will go to a very large extent in either strengthening or weaking a person’s relationship with God. Solomon did not want to forget God who had done so much for him, but his choice of wives caused him to err.

Many people make costly mistakes because they do not seek God’s guidance. No matter how much you know, depending on God in making a choice is a sign of meekness and humility. God still chooses the right marriage partner for His children who are willing to trust and obey Him. Psalm 25:9 says:
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”

Judgement in the above Scripture means decision-making or preference, thus, it is saying God will guide the meek in making choices. Even if you have basic knowledge in the area where you have to make a choice, you still need to depend on God. Lot chose a piece of land that he knew would be very good for agriculture. He surveyed the land, assessed its prospects, knew it would sufficiently support animal husbandry and thus, chose to relocate there. His knowledge was good, but it was limited because he did not know what the future held for that land. God eventually destroyed the land in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:9-11). There appears to be nothing wrong in Lot making a choice, however, his mistake was that he did not seek God’s guidance. Relying solely on one’s knowledge can ruin such a person’s destiny and lead to eternal damnation. This is why Proverbs 31:30 says:
“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”

Seek the face of God and sound Christian counseling before choosing a life partner. Do not choose by sight and human knowledge alone; God’s guidance is key to making the best choice in all that concerns you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please guide me in all decisions I have to make in life. Lord, please help our youths make the right choices when it is time to choose a life partner, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 1-4.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES.
1. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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

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

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

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