Monthly Archives: January 2022

MEMORISE:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

READ: Matthew 9:1-7.
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

MESSAGE:
One of the consequences of sin is sickness. When the darkness of sin disappears, sickness flees with it. The words “Let there be light” could mean “Let there be healing” because sickness is a form of darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light, the Remover of sin, as well as the Healer. Our memory verse today says that we are dead to sin and healed by the stripes of Jesus.

The story in our Bible text confirms that sin, more often than not, cause sickness in mankind. Thus, once the problem of sin is dealt with, sickness is invariably healed as well. When Jesus saw the man that was sick of the palsy, He knew straightway that his problem was as a result of sin. Instead of engaging in an exercise in futility like many ministers of God do today, Jesus went straight to the root cause of the man’s sickness- sin. “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” Jesus declared. The result is found in the next verse in our text for today after Jesus had declared him forgiven. Jesus said:
“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.”
Matthew 9:6-7

Beloved, there are a lot of lessons to learn from today’s reading: One, for ministers of the gospel, we must not waste our time on praying for the sick who are not ready to let go of their sin. Two, for the sick, they must be humble enough to admit their sinful living, confess, forsake and totally repent of the sin. Three, Jesus Christ the Healer is the Forgiver of sins; every man must come to Him for salvation from all calamities, including the darkness of sickness. The assurance is that no matter how hopeless the situation may be, humanly speaking, by His stripes you will be healed. Just ensure that you have zero tolerance to any spiritual impurity in your body which is the temple of the Almighty God, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19.

ACTION POINT:
Purge yourself of all sinful habits so that the light of healing may shine upon you as from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 2-4..

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1 Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2 Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3 When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4 Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

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MEMORISE:
Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. Colossians 4:15

READ: Romans 16:3-5.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

MESSAGE:
The Home Church model is the oldest form of worship centers right from the Old Testament days. It should be recalled that what is now known as Abrahamic faith in at least three notable religions of the world started as a family mode of worship. The Bible tells of how the Abrahamic faith started within the household of Abraham in Genesis 18:19. It is equally interesting to note that when the New testament Church was born, it was within a household at the Upper Room (Acts 1:13). This was where all the earliest apostles were residing when the New Testament Church was inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Ghost.
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:.. Likewise greet the church that is in their house…..” Romans 16:3, 5

Therefore, adopting the Home Church model is going back to the basic. The Home Church model has been proven to be beneficial right from the birth of the Church and all hostility from the world against it. The blessings accruing from the model is innumerable but we shall mention some of the spiritual ones today.

To start with, putting a church in your house in the form of a House Fellowship center is like putting the Ark of the Covenant there and it brings abundant blessing like in the case of Obededom. In 2 Samuel 6:10-11. Obededom became a national celebrity to the extent that even King David envied him and hurriedly took the Ark away from his household. The good news is that no one can take the Church away from you as long as you allow Jesus to remain in your house.

Corporately speaking, the home Church mode enhances all-round growth of the church. Spiritually, members of the House Fellowship and by extension, of the church are well-groomed since they would be properly taken care of. This model discourages the loss of souls in the multitude of the bigger mother-Church. As we can see from the scriptures we reviewed above, the Home Church model is a design from God and we must all return to it.

Beloved, decide to use your home as a sub-unit of the bigger Church today and you would be richly blessed by so doing, in Jesus’s name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please qualify my home to be a custodian of Your Church, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 46-48.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEAR, 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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MEMORISE:
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1

READ: 1 John 1:1-3,14
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

MESSAGE:
The word ‘wonder’ could be considered as an apt description of God. Our God is full of wonders. At creation we saw how God brought order out of a chaotic situation. The Bible says:
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3

The above Scripture gives assurance of peace to anyone who would come to God through Jesus Christ our lord. In our memory verse today, we read that God is so magnificent that the entire heaven is His throne while, as large as the earth is, it is His footstool. This is to tell us that no matter how big our challenges are, God is bigger than them all, as a songwriter affirms.

Another area of the wonders of God is found in our Bible text of today. God is an eternal personality playing different roles. He is the word with God and at the same time he is God. The implication of this reality is that whoever trivializes the Word of God trivializes God Himself. Jesus Christ said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). Moreover, because the Word is powerful, if we abide in Him, our lives would be transformed, and we would be victorious. The Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 understood this and took advantage of his knowledge of this truth when he requested that Jesus Christ should merely speak the Word to his servant’s situation for healing.

“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Matthew 8:8

The God of wonders is alive to deal with your situation and give you pleasant wonders as we journey through the year 2022. Go ahead and praise the God of wonders right now.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please perform Your wonders in my life today, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 43-45.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: OH GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST.
1. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

2. Within the shadow of thy throne,
Still may we dwell secure.
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while life shall last
And our eternal home.

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MEMORISE:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

READ: 1 Timothy 6:1-6
1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved,
partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

MESSAGE:
Today, we shall look at some more lessons we can draw from the life and times of prophet Elisha. The first one is based on today’s memory verse, which says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6. Elisha was a contented man of God. He understood true prosperity according to Proverbs 23:5 which says that worldly riches are temporary and fly away as an eagle toward heaven, Elisha had total consecration and was not given to materialism. This was attested to by his refusal to exchange his double anointing for the gift brought by Naaman after the latter was healed of leprosy (2 kings 5:16,26). One striking virtue of Elisha that we must imbibe is his heart of sincere service. This was so obvious that it was well known in Israel. Little wonder that when King Jehoshaphat was looking for a genuine prophet to consult, one of his servants testified of Elisha thus:
“But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.” 2 Kings 3:11

Elisha was forward-looking. He didn’t allow the present to blur the view of his future. He left a lucrative farming business to become a famous national prophet. Many are so short-sighted, like Esau who sold his birthright for a plate of pottage (Genesis 25:29-35). The cumulative virtue of Elisha made him become a man of a double-portion anointing. He performed miracles- double of what his master Elijah performed. For example, he raised two dead people whereas his master raised one. May the Lord make us disciples of a double-portion anointing, so that we may do greater works that Christ did, in Jesus’ name (John 14:12).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of genuine service and fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can do exploit for you, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 41-42.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.

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

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10:44

READ: 2 Kings 3:11-12
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

MESSAGE:
Another quality which qualified Elisha for uncommon greatness is his devotion to serving the servant of God, Elijah. The Bible stated that Elisha poured water on Elijah’s hand (2 Kings 3:11). From this, it is clear that there are many blessings reserved for those who serve God’s servants. The bible says:
“He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” Matthew 10:41

You can serve a man of God without getting paid directly; however, when that man of God says to you ‘God bless you’, he is not just paying you compliments. A casual ‘God bless’ from a friend does not carry the power that the same word from a man of God would. The words ‘God bless you’ from a man of God are loaded with prophetic blessings. You must therefore be ready to do something that will qualify you for a divine blessing.

When you serve a man of God, a simple ‘God bless you’ will load you with tremendous miracle. Sometimes ago, one of my sons-in-the-Lord shared a testimony of how he was mightily blessed simply by driving me during one of my visits to the United States of America. He said of me “When he was finally leaving, he simply said ‘God bless you’. To the glory of God, I passed my exam in flying colors, got a new job and prospered tremendously”.

When Elijah asked to know what Elisha wanted, the latter had only one answer. A double portion of the power of Elijah. Elisha asked for what he would use for God’s work, and we see in our Bible reading today, God blessed him so much that kings were seeking his help. The Bible says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). You are not ready for uncommon greatness until you have settled the issue of your involvement in and commitment to Kingdom business. May the Lord give you the grace to work for Him and with His anointed ministers selflessly from today, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
Think of what you can do to extend the frontiers of God’s Kingdom on earth, today and move into immediate action.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 38-40.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I AM PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY.

1. I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2. My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

3. I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

4. I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

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MEMORISE:
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29

READ: 1 Kings 19:15-21
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

MESSAGE:
We can learn many lessons from the life and times of Elisha- the successor to the great Prophet Elijah. In the next few days, we shall consider some of these lessons, and we will start with ‘diligence’ today. For example, we see that Elisha- a prosperous farmer’s son, was working alongside his father’s employees when Elijah met him. He could have refrained from joining the workers, but he worked with them because he was a diligent man. To excel physically in your endeavors, you must be diligent (Proverbs 22:19); likewise, to excel spiritually, you must seek the Lord diligently (Hebrews 11:6).

Another lesson we can learn from Elisha is ‘good leadership’. As successful as he was, he was in the field with the hirelings, ploughing in his father’s farm (1 Kings 19:19). He was a leader by example- not a sit-at-home leader who issues commands while he himself would not lift a finger to do anything. To lead is to serve, according to the injunction of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:27. He was diligently doing his business when he received the call to the office of a prophet. Children of God should not be idling away in the name of a call that could be for a set time- they must be found busy doing legitimate business because the Lord does not call mediocre. Moreover, Elisha did not allow his call to becloud his obligation to honor his father before resuming at his divine post as a son of the prophet (1 kings 19:20). This conforms with the Scripture that says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12).

It is a dangerous thing to fail in honoring our parents under the guise of either a new-found faith or calling in the ministry. I will forever be grateful to God who gave me the opportunity to honor my mother while she was still alive and I received a lifetime blessing from her. Beloved, let us take note of these lessons as we continue to examine the life and times of Elisha the prophet.

ACTION POINT:
Take time to study Prophet Elisha on your own and it will surprise you how many lessons the Holy Spirit will teach you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 35-37.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: 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.

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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MEMORISE:

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

READ: Matthew 22:35-40

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

MESSAGE:

A brother was discussing with me about how he had decided to be very committed to Kingdom work. I knew he was just probably trying to impress me, so I set a little test to see how serious he was in his commitment to Kingdom business. I told him the church would need his car for an outreach the next Monday. He protested immediately, saying that he would also need it to transport himself to work. I then told him that he had no idea what total commitment to God and His Kingdom’s business was. It was then I pointed out to him that we had already made provision for all the vehicles we would need for the outreach. I told him further that I had just wanted to test the genuineness of his claim of commitment to God.

In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ based our commitment as His disciples on a great pillar called love-love for our Father in heaven and love for our neighbors. Our commitment to love goes a long way to fulfil the eternal and universal law. Love is however, so costly that even our Father in heaven paid a great price to demonstrate it to the whole world for the purpose of our salvation.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

In the same vein, when we are committed to loving our neighbors, many things will happen positively in our world. Firstly, keeping the commandments of God would be very easy. Our love for God will make us refrain from annoying Him through sin. David wrote: “ I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.” (Psalm 119:101). Holiness is the price we all must pay to be a part of Kingdom of God. Furthermore, our commitment to holiness may be very costly as we must be ready to pay the price of persecution according to 2 Timothy 3:12. To be a disciple and a friend of Jesus for that matter demands a price, according to Mark 10:30. Beloved, are you committed to soul-winning, giving to Kingdom projects and godliness? I congratulate you if you are because you will not miss your reward, in the name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to increase my commitment to godliness and kingdom projects, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 30-31.

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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MEMORISE:

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:1

READ: Samuel 7:7-17

7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.

10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.

12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.

17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.

MESSAGE:

After the great victory over the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:12, Ebenezer- the stone of help was set up to celebrate and mark how far the Lord had helped the children of Israel. This was done to show appreciation and gratitude to God for His present help and continued support in the future. The Bible records that Israel was engaged in a prolonged war that stretched over many generations, yet they made a point to appreciate God for the success at the end of every battle. So also, children of God must learn to express heartfelt gratitude to God in all circumstances.

One of the numerous benefits of expressing gratitude to God is the fact that it usually propels Him to do much more than we can imagine. Gratitude motivates God to exceed the limits of His initial action. The story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:12-19 is a good example of this. Luke 17:17-19 says:

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

In the story above, ten lepers cried to Jesus for mercy to heal and cleanse them of their leprosy. Jesus did something strange; He did not pray for them as expected, but rather, told them to go and show themselves to the priests as required by the law according to Leviticus 14:2-7. While the lepers were on their way to the priests, they suddenly discovered their leprosy had vanished. Immediately, one of them turned back to appreciate and glorify God. It was at this point that the one who returned to give thanks got something beyond his healing- he was made whole, such that there would be no scar or mark left to indicate that he had ever been leprous.

Sincere, heartfelt appreciation must be prompt and timely. Any show of gratitude that comes later than necessary is usually not acceptable. We need to have value for genuine thanksgiving and develop a grateful heart, so that expressions of gratitude will begin to flow out of our heart, mouth and actions to God forever.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of gratitude in all circumstances, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 27-29.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 25: TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE.

1. To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.

2. Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

3. Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.

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MEMORISE:

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Daniel 6:3

READ: Daniel 6:1-3

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

MESSAGE:

There is a link between dominion and excellence. This is the reason we shall be discussing the spirit of excellence today so that our dominion may not only become a reality but that it may also be everlasting.

What is excellence? To understand what excellence is all about, we must appreciate the good. However, excellence is far better than very good not to talk of good, fairly good and fair. As a matter of fact, the good at one level may not be good enough at another level. However, when we talk of excellence, it is hardly misunderstood. What happens when the Spirit of excellence envelopes an individual? To start with, the one with the spirit of excellence knows no impossibility. When the writing that spelt the judgement of Belshazzar could not be interpreted, the queen-mother advised that Daniel should be consulted. Why? The Bible says:

“Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.”
Daniel 5:12

Daniel was able to do the impossible because an excellent spirit was upon him. The spirit of excellence makes the possessor see the invisible. Joseph also possessed an excellent spirit and so, he saw the seven years plenty and seven years of famine a long time before they happened (Genesis 41). A person with an excellent spirit will understand what others around him may not understand as found in Daniel 7. Daniel was made to understand what the entire realm did not because he possessed the Spirit of excellence. A man with the Spirit of excellence succeeds where others fail. Beloved, you need the Spirit of excellence to succeed in life and it can only be found in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the excellent Spirit and His presence upon us give us power to do exploits (Acts 1:8). Give your life wholly to Jesus Christ so he can fill you with the Spirit of excellence.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please fill me afresh with Your Spirit of excellence, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 25-26.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARER, MY GOD TO THEE.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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