Monthly Archives: January 2022

MEMORISE:
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1

READ: 1 John 3:1-3.
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

MESSAGE:
The Christian life is so full of wonders that one of the earliest apostles marveled at the manner of love God showered on us, making us His children (1 John 3:1). Every genuine Christian has experienced the wonder of being adopted into the family of God as we see in Romans 8:15.

When we consider the benefits and privileges of being a child of the most powerful Personality in heaven, or earth and anywhere at all, we will begin to appreciate the wonders of being a Christian. The world cannot understand these benefits, yet they are real. Some religions of the world cannot come to terms with the fact that Christians call God their Father. Some people were even upset with me for calling God my daddy. However, God is my Daddy indeed. I told them if their relationship with God stops at calling Him “Father”, no problem, but He is my Daddy. Period.

However, one of the implications of this is that we should not trivialize the privilege or take it for granted. This takes us back to our discussion yesterday on the most important demand on the Christian life- holiness. The child of a lion is a lion. As Christians, we are called to be perfect as our Father in heaven, purifying ourselves always (Matthew 5:48, 1 john 3:3).

How do we purify ourselves? The Bible gives the answer “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:9). A pure and sinless life is very simple if we live our lives according to the word of God. I have taught it several times that holiness is simply obedience. You can be considered holy or righteous when you obey God to the last letter of His instructions. God told Adam “Don’t” but he did and so became a sinner. Thus, by the Spirit of Jesus Christ and our obedience to His word, we are holy and so fulfill the condition of being His children.

It is important to note that these wonders are reserved strictly for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Surrender your life to Him too today if you haven’t done so yet, and you will experience the wonders of being adopted into the family of God.

ACTION POINT:
Praise God extravagantly for making you His child.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 38-40.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: O WHAT A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL DAY.
1. 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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20

MEMORISE:
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John15:8

READ: Matthew 28:19-20.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

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

MESSAGE:
There are a lot of blessings accrued to genuine Christian living, but these do not come without some obligations on the part of the Christian. For example, the peace of God that passes all understanding is one of the benefits of Christian living, just like divine healing or divine health, according to Deuteronomy 7:15 and 1 Peter 2:24. However, we must meet certain demands before we can access these blessings. One of such demands is fruit-bearing. The lifestyle of a genuine Christian must show that the fellow has truly repented and forsaken his or her sins. John the Baptist, in Luke 3:7-8, told those who claim to have repented to bear fruit that confirmed repentance:
“ Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…..”

This fruit-bearing also includes soul-winning, as Jesus stated in John 15:8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” To bear fruit through soul-winning requires preaching the gospel according to our Bible reading today. A Christian worthy of his or her calling must make soul-winning a priority. As a matter of fact, the proof that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ is to harvest the souls He came to die for. A Christian will not allow the passion and the death of Jesus Christ to be in vain. We must also praise Him as the Bible says:
“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 most important demand upon a Christian is holiness. Once we have become Christians, we must separate ourselves from all ungodly activities and relationships. The Bible says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Matthew 5:48 says we should be perfect even as our Lord is. May the Lord grant you the grace to be perfect, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to meet the demands of a Christian life, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 36-37.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS.

1. Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!

2. At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!

3. Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.

4. Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro’ countless ages
men and angels sing.

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20

MEMORISE:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

READ: John 1:11-12.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

MESSAGE:
The first mystery of a Christian life has to do with the newness of everything when person gives his or her life to Jesus Christ. In our Bible reading today we saw that God gives a sinful man the grace to become one of His children. With the power of God being available to every believer, many new things happen to the fellow. One, the believer’s name automatically changes. For example, the Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that while the recompense of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life for anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). The Bible says further, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

Another mystery of the Christian life is the gift of a brand-new existence in the Holy Spirit as the flesh and its evil works are crucified. A Christian produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:19-25).

In a nutshell, when you give your life to Christ, your name changes from Sinner to Saint. This is why our memory verse today concludes that anyone who is in Christ Jesus becomes a new creature, dead to all his or her old ways.

A Christian life brings an individual under a new management. Jesus Christ said that we should come to Him to be taught to become like Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Christless people find it impossible to lead a life of obedience, but a Christian finds new abilities which enable him or her to do all things (Philippians 4:13). A person who had been far away from God can now hear Him speak- giving classified information that others do not have access to (John 10:27).

The mysteries of a Christian life also include the gift of a new garment. A Christian wear a garment of praise and not one of murmuring and complaints (Psalm 103:1-5). The Christian life brings about divine health (1 Peter 2:24), divine provisions (Philippians 4:19), divine peace (John 14:27) and divine friendship (John 15:14-15). Beloved, if you are yet to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do so now so you can also begin to enjoy the mysteries of the Christian life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let me never miss out on any of the mysteries of a Christian life and use me to bring more souls into the Kingdom, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 33-35.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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20

MEMORISE:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mark 10:51

READ: Luke 24: 13-31.
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

MESSAGE:
The words, “Let there be light” could mean “Lord, open my spiritual and physical eyes”. To the physically blind fellow, it means “Let me be able to see”. To the spiritually blind, it means “Lord, open my spiritual eyes so that I may begin to see the invisible”. The Psalmist wrote, “Open mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). This did not mean the Psalmist was physically blind, rather, he knew that he could only see the depth of the Lord’s will for his life in the word of God when his spiritual eyes were open. Some people may be doing the wrong thing without knowing and they would think they are on the right path (Proverbs 16:225). This is so common among the religious and intellectuals. The case of Saul of Tarsus who became Paul the Apostle is a classic example of this (Acts 9:1-6).

The story in our memory verse today points to the darkness of physical blindness. People shouted Bartimaeus down because he could not see. A blind man may be subjected to unwarranted harassment, even from those close to him, probably because they feel he is a burden to them, slowing them down. In this story, it was those people who were scrambling to catch a glimpse of the Miracle-Worker- Jesus Christ, that were harassing him. However, the man refused to be intimidated. The Bible says that the more they shouted him down, the louder he shouted back- eventually drawing the attention of Jesus Christ himself. Shout back to the devil today and call on the Light to shine upon you in order to receive your sight- whether physical or spiritual.

Another lesson from this story is the fact that Jesus asked the blind beggar what he actually wanted. The Lord needed to hear him open his mouth to seek His help. Go ahead, open your mouth and pray about any problem you have today. The Father of lights will beam His light upon the situation in Jesus’ name and you will be victorious.

Spiritual blindness is a terrible form of darkness. In our Bible reading of today, two of the disciples were so spiritually blind that they did not recognize their Lord until the light shone on them. When the light of God shines on you, despair disappears, strength is regained and joy unspeakable would become your portion. Praise the Lord.

ACTION POINT:
Pray like the blind Bartimaeus did, asking that the Lord would send His light upon you for new insights into His will for your life, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 28-29.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

o Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

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

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

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

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

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20

MEMORISE:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isaiah 6:8

READ: Isaiah 6:1-8
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean, “Lord, after You have shown me the solution to my problem, teach me how to help others also” or simply “Lord, use me for Your glory”. A life that does not serve a divine purpose is a wasted life and would have no recompense in the hereafter Jesus Christ clearly said:
“ And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:12

The reason we were not taken to heaven the very day we gave our lives to Christ is so that we may be useful and not only to serve the purpose of our creation and redemption, but be handsomely rewarded by our Father in heaven. When darkness fills a person’s life, such a person will lead a purposeless and unprofitable life. A lesson we must learn from Prophet Isaiah in our Bible reading today is that the moment the light of God shone upon him and he was shown his imperfection by God’s grace, he surrendered himself to be used of God.
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Isaiah 6:8

Joseph is another classic example of someone who, after the light of God shone upon him, served God’s purpose for his life consciously. Like Joseph, all children of God must seek to discover His unique purpose for their lives and pursue it vigorously (Genesis 50:19-20).

Beloved, when the light of God shines upon your life, you will see the importance of Mark 16:17-18 and you will earnestly pray for the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in Acts 1:8 over your life.

God has already prepared a glorious future ahead for all His children through Christ (Colossians 1:27). Ensure you do not miss out on this by yielding you life entirely over to the Light- Jesus Christ and live according to His purpose for your life.

God bless you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let Your light shine upon my life and help me fulfil my divine purpose, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 26-27.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARER, MY GOD TO THEE.
1. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

o Refrain:
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

2. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee.

3. There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee.

4. Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee.

5. Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

6. There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee.

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20

MEMORISE:
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

READ: Esther 2:5-9
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean “Let there be shining beauty”. Darkness is ugly, and beauty is neither shown nor appreciated in it. For example, when darkness envelopes a beautiful woman, no one can appreciate her beauty. Conversely, when the light of God shines upon the same person, her beauty would be seen and appreciated by all.

In our Bible reading today, we read of God’s light shining upon a slave girl Esther who later became Queen. The secret is the light of God that shown upon her- nothing more. Nobody appreciates beauty in darkness. For example, in the daytime, Jacob admired Rachel so much that he opted for her instead of her elder sister. However, when darkness came and Leah was presented, he did not know who was who until the following morning (Genesis 29:16-19, 23-26).

An adage says that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. What many fail to know is that beauty is synonymous with light. It is she who has the light of God on her that looks beautiful. There was a woman who was beautiful not only to behold but also to be desired as a wife. However, the husband turned her to a punching bag! She appeared repulsive to the husband, despite her beauty and accomplishments. The truth of the matter was that darkness so beclouded her beauty that her husband could not appreciate it. The conclusion of the matter is found in our memory verse of today.

Do you want all forms of darkness and evil to depart from you? Do you want the light of God to beam and radiate His glory all over you?

Make up your mind to surrender all to the Light- Jesus Christ, and the light of God would shine upon you. Surrender all to the Father of lights today and every darkness beclouding your vision from seeing and experiencing His glory will flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let Your light shine upon me and reveal Your glory upon my life in Jesus’s name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 18-21.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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20

MEMORISE:
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Isaiah 48:18

READ: Philippians 4:6-7.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean let there be peace. There is, however, a link between having the peace of God and obedience to His commandments, as we see in our memory verse today.

One of the commandments which some people may not recognize is in Matthew 11:29 where Jesus Christ commands that we should learn of Him so that we may find rest (peace) for our souls. This is very important because Romans 10:17 also says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Also, there are categories of peace. We have regular peace (Isaiah 45:7), great peace (Psalm 119:165), all-round peace (1 Kings 4:24) and peace like a river (Isaiah 48:18).

A question that then comes to mind is, “who gives peace at whatever level?”. The answer is simple: God is the Giver of peace. He gives peace through His Son Jesus Christ- the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), this is why Apostle Peter prayed for the Church, saying “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). The preceding verse says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” In other words, before you can have the peace of God, you must learn to trust Him, and you cannot trust the One you do not know or accept as your all in all. In addition, you cannot talk of praising and honoring Him as you should.

On this note, I encourage you to seek the Father of lights (James 1:17) and I m confident that you will find Him as promised in Proverbs 8:17.

Do you wat the peace of God to reign in your life? Come to the Father of lights today through His Son Jesus Christ- the Prince of Peace. Confess your sins and if you have done before, decide to live a sinless life from now. May the light of God that brings peace beam over you and all that concerns you, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
Meditate on 2 Corinthian 6:14-18; step out of everything that represents darkness and come to Jesus Christ- the Light, today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 12-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.

1 All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

o Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3 All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

4 All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5 All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

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20

MEMORISE:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

READ: Esther 8:15-16.
15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

MESSAGE:
There is a correlation between light and joy just as there is between darkness and sorrow. “Let there be light” can therefore mean “Let there be joy”. There is no joy in darkness; light produces joy unspeakable, full of glory. However, joy is in categories. There is ordinary joy as we read in our memory verse today. In our Bible reading today we also read about the joy of God’s people when the darkness of wickedness and hatred that arose against them from Haman were quashed. There is also great joy according to 1 Chronicles 29:9:
“Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”

In the Scripture above we learn one secret of the great joy of the people. This secret lies in the fact that they offered to the Lord their substance, their praise, willingly and with perfect hearts. Another lesson is that King David also rejoiced with great joy, which means that great joy is not determined by position, the amount of wealth or level of influence. Both the king and the ordinary people experienced great joy.

There is, however, another category of joy and that is exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10 tells of the exceeding great joy of wise men who were searching for the new-born Savior of the world. It says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy”. When you discover the Person of Jesus Christ the Savior, your joy will be unspeakable and exceedingly great. This is also called the joy of salvation. Peter the Apostle described this kind of joy thus, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)

Sorrow is the opposite of joy and it characterises the life of those who are not born again. Beloved, do you desire joy? Then get out of the darkness of this world of sin and embrace Jesus Christ- the light of this world. In John 8:12, Jesus says “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

ACTION POINT:
If you want unspeakable and exceedingly great joy, come out of the darkness of this world of sin and embrace Jesus Christ the Light today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 9-11.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: I’VE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD, HALLELUJAH.

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:
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 Corinthian 8:9

READ: 2 Chronicles 9-10.
9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean “Let the darkness of poverty disappear” so that pure wealth from God may appear- the type that does not bring sorrow along with it. The Almighty God is the Master Strategist, the Architect-in-Charge of the universe and the Greatest Builder of all time. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No one is in this world by accident. He did not create man until all that he needed for his living was put in place. The earth was filled with the darkness of poverty, but God fixed it before creating man. I pray the Almighty God will deal with the darkness of poverty in your life, in Jesus’ name. The Almighty God told the children of Israel:
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18

The members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in particular have a covenant of pure wealth with God through our Father-in-the-Lord, the founder of RCCG. This is why we do not need to go the worldly way to get wealth. Wealth is our trademark because we need it to carry out our mandate of world evangelization and missions. The good news is that every child of God can partake in this covenant of prosperity through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, according to today’s memory verse.

In today’s text we read of a man who realized that poverty is a form of darkness and thus decided not to condone it any longer. He thus prayed against it. This man was Jabez. The lesson all children on God must learn here is that poverty is not a Christian virtue and so it should be abhorred with a passion. As a matter of fact, poverty is in direct opposition to our relationship with God who says the cattle on a thousand hill belong to Him (Psalm 50:10).

May the light of the Almighty God shine upon you today and cause every form of the darkness of poverty to forever flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, whatever beautiful plans You have for my life that the enemies have distorted through the power of darkness, please restore in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 5-8.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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