Monthly Archives: March 2022

MEMORISE:

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Isaiah 13:9

READ: Isaiah 13:6 -11

6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:

8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

MESSAGE

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Matthew 24:40-41

On that very last day, many will lose their friends. Husbands will be separated from their wives. Some mothers will be separated from their children. One will go to heaven while the other will remain. That fellow who has been preaching to you lo live a holy life will no longer be there to preach to you, he or she would have been raptured? I also will no longer be here and that year will be the last year that this Open Heavens Devotional will be published.

Beloved, surrender your life to Christ now and live holy so that you will not be left behind on that day. From that day on, all these things you chase – money, houses, cars, fame , marriage and so on will be of no relevance. The only things that will matter is whether you are in heaven with Christ or on earth with the Anti-Christ. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isaiah 13:11

For those of us who will go to heaven, weeping will end permanently that day (Revelation 21:4). The world may be mocking us for living holy now. They may seem to be enjoying life now, but that very last day is coming when the sorrows of everyone who had not surrendered to the Lordship of Christ will begin. On that day, in the part of the world where it will be daytime, the sun will not shine its light. Where it is night , the moon will be darkened. The punishment of sinners would then start. Oh, I hope you will not be around to experience the punishment that will come after the rapture. I can assure you that you would wish you had given your life to Christ.

Put aside all the cares of this world that are hindering you from living holy now; they will no longer matter on that day. I pray you make it to heaven, in Jesus name.

KEY POINT

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24:42

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HO, MY COMRADES,SEE THE SIGNAL
1. Ho, my comrades! see the signal
Waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh!

Chorus
Hold the fort, for I am coming!
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to heaven,
By Thy grace we will!

2. See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on:
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving!
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph
Over every foe!

4. Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near:
Onward comes our great Commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer!

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MEMORISE:
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

READ: Luke 9:57 -62
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE
On the first of January 2018, I announced when sharing the prophecies for the year that God said the countdown to the end had begun that year. Jesus Christ is coming back really soon. In today’s Bible reading, He gave us the signs to show us His coming is near- famine, earthquakes and pestilence in diverse places, saying that all these would be the beginning of sorrows.

In the original Greek language, the word translated ‘sorrow’ there actually means ‘labour pains’. In other words, the world would be going through labour pains in order to give birth to the new world which is the New Jerusalem. When a pregnant woman is about to give birth, she would start having pains, but as she gets closer to delivery, the pains would increase and come more frequently than before. If you check the statistics, you would see that the things Jesus said would be the beginning of labour pains have been happening more intensely and frequently in the last couple of years, than ever before. The earthquakes are more serious and widespread; even places that had never experienced earthquakes before are also having their share. The pestilences are spreading much faster around the world. These should tell you that the end is almost here.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14

As Jesus said, the gospel of the kingdom of God will be preached in all the world and when this happens, then the end shall come. If you look around the world, you will see more and more countries opening their boarders and allowing the gospel to be preached in their nations. I believe that all we are waiting for is for everyone to hear the gospel, so as to have a chance to give their lives to Christ and then, rapture will take place.

No one knows the date or the hour when Jesus Christ will come to take His children, so if you are not one of His children now, you will be left behind when He comes. If, however, you have already surrendered your life to Jesus, Please hold on to Him to the very end (Matthew 24:13); We are in the last days already are you ready for rapture?

REFLECTION
Be honest with yourself; if rapture happens today , will you be among those who will make it to heaven?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 10-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS
1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrains
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 His presence 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:
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14

READ: Romans 10:1-14
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

MESSAGE
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. Romans 10:1

The above passage is Paul’s heart’s desire for this country. What is the desire of your heart for your country? Are you happy seeing the people of your country on their way to hell? Are you happy seeing the youths become more and more perverse by the day? If not, then you should do something about it. If you really love the people of your country, then you would not keep salvation to yourself, rather, you would preach to them and lead them to Christ.

Start from your village. When I became born again, the first major assignment I did for God was to establish a Church in my village. I did it because my desire was to see my kindred getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted them to also enjoy the peace and joy that I now had. I couldn’t bear to watch them on their way to hell. If you take note, you will see that just as Paul described the people of Israel in our Bible reading today, your people also have a desire to know God. They yearn to connect with that Supreme Being who is in control of all things, but they are often ignorant as to the identity of the one true God and how to connect with Him. Believe me, when you preach to them, they will be very grateful to you for showing them the narrow path to God. Don’t deprive them of that knowledge and the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven rather than hell. Even if it is only one soul that you are able to lead to Christ amongst your people, that one soul will be eternally grateful to you when he or she gets to heaven. All the effort to win that one soul would have been well worth it.

Your people need God, they want to call on Him, but they cannot do so except they know Him. They cannot know Him except someone preaches to them. Why don’t you make yourself available as the bridge between them and God today? Imagine you bringing Jesus Christ to your village. Imagine people coming to your village to receive healings and miracles just because of you. Imagine how much God can do in and for your country just because you preached the gospel there. Don’t deny your people of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT
Preach the gospel of Jesus to at least one member of your family today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 8-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HO, MY COMRADES, SEE THE SIGNAL.
1. Ho, my comrades! see the signal
Waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory is nigh!

Chorus
Hold the fort, for I am coming!
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to heaven,
By Thy grace we will!

2. See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on:
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving!
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph
Over every foe!

4. Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near:
Onward comes our great Commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer!

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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: Joshua 14:12-14
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

MESSAGE
The implication of Caleb’s request in our Bible reading today is that he was asking for a new responsibility and assignment. It should be recalled that though the Lord had declared that the promise land belonged to the children of Israel, they still had the responsibility of acquiring it. The original settlers would not give up the land they had occupied from time immemorial, hence the need for the Israelites to fight to take what had been divinely declared to be theirs

One of the most difficult types of lands to acquire is a mountain, yet Caleb told Joshua, “Give me this mountain”. The Lord had assured Caleb that He would give that part of the land to him for his good report of faith. This faith persisted even into his old age; he still believed in the faithfulness of God to give him the mountain part of the Promised Land.

In today’s reading, we learn that, “Lord, give me this mountain means, “Give me this assignment and by Your grace, I shall accomplish it”. For example, when you pray that God should make you His minister, you are asking for a great task but I can assure you that His grace will be sufficient for you, according to 1 Timothy 3 :1 which says, “..If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work”. “Give me this mountain” could also mean, “Make me a missionary and I shall win the world for You” or “Make me Your disciple and I shall do greater works for You”.

Desiring to work for God is the best thing that can happen to a child of God. However, it is a great responsibility, for example, in 1 Timothy 3:2 the Bible says, “A bishop then must be blameless…” among other qualifications. In other words, living a sinless life is part of the price of doing God’s work. In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 we read that only those who purge themselves of the impurities of life can carry out divine assignments successfully. Our memory verse today reveals God’s search of vessels unto honour, for which Isaiah volunteered. This was preceded by a process of purification after admitting his unworthiness (Isaiah 6:5-7). Beloved, for you to be used by God to successfully execute divine assignments, you must undergo spiritual purification through a new birth and sanctification by the blood of Jesus Christ (1John 1:8-9).

PRAYER POINT
Lord prepare me a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I will be a living sanctuary for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 6-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN3: 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.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev’ry 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! tho’ it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

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

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MEMORISE
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8

READ: Isaiah 49:24-26
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

MESSAGE
Today, we shall continue with the study we commenced yesterday on the work of grace in the life of man. In our Bible reading we are assured that there is someone who can deliver the lawful captive. However, this is only achievable through grace. When darkness envelopes an individual, the fellow’s life becomes meaningless. The power of darkness is from the devil. Those whose lives are engulfed in darkness can never experience peace, joy and abundant life.

There is however, good news in Colossians 1:12-15 which tells us that our God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His Son. This kingdom is the Kingdom of light because the Bible says concerning Jesus Christ:

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.
John 8:12

Beloved, in what areas of your life have you been experiencing the devastating influence of the power of darkness? Seek the grace that brought salvation to all men according to Titus 2:11-12 which says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. The lessons from this scripture are many.

The grace of God brings salvation – all-round salvation for that matter. This grace is equally teaching and empowering us to shun a sinful life and worldliness. This is why, when Jesus Christ saw the man who was healed of what hitherto had been described as an incurable disease, later in the temple, He told him, “…Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). As freely as the work of grace flows towards us, we must never take it for granted.

May the work of grace flow freely in your life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT
Lord, please deliver me from all forms of captivity by your work of grace, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 3-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS NOW ARE WE

1. Conquerors and overcomers now are we,
Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory,
If the Lord be for us, we can never fail;
Nothing ‘gainst his mighty pow’r can e’er prevail.

Refrain:
Conquerors are we, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood;
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood,
Thro’ the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.

2. In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,
Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;
Not to us, but unto him the praise shall be,
For salvation and for blood-bought victory.

3. Unto him that overcometh shall be giv’n
Here to eat of hidden manna sent from heav’n;
Over yonder he the victor’s palm shall bear,
And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.
————————
Remember: ‘There Is No Problem Without Solution; Jesus Is The Solution To All Problems’.
————————

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MEMORISE
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 1 Peter 3:18

READ: 1 Timothy 1:15 -17

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

MESSAGE
Every sinner belongs to the Devil (1 John 3:8) and is a servant of sin (Romans 6:16). A servant in this context is like a prisoner who has lost his or her freedom. For us to be free, we need grace and this can only be found in the truth of the word of God according to John 8:31-32. The difference between a sinner and a saint is that the saint hears the truth and embraces it while the sinner hears but ignores it. For example, the Bible says:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – (1 John 1:8-9).

The above Scripture contains the truth that set me free some decades ago. Coming from a highly disciplined family, I grew up as a moralist and so thought I was far better than many people. I did not think I was in any serious sin that could warrant my need for a saviour. However, the grace of God beamed upon my soul and when I saw my filthy life of hypocrisy, I cried out for salvation.

It is the grace of God that brings salvation to humanity (Titus 2:11); however, anyone who trivializes the grace of God is dead already. Noah found grace before God (Genesis 6:8), and this led to his salvation. If, however, Noah had toyed with the grace, he would have perished as well.

Indeed, it is by grace that we are saved and we must never deny it’s importance in performing all God-given assignments as we see in (2 Corinthians 9:8): And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Beloved, the Lord has already made His grace abound towards you by giving His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ as a ransom for your soul (John 3:16).
Forsake your sins today and access this divine provision by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. It is the only way to escape the eternal damnation that awaits everyone who rejects the grace of God (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

PRAYER POINT
Father, thank you for your grace that abound towards me . Please Lord, help me make the best of it, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 24- JUDGES 2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND
1. Let us with a gladsome mind �Praise the Lord for He is kind;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.
�
2. Let us sound His name abroad, �For of gods He is the God;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

3. He, with aII-commanding might, �Filled the new-made world with light;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

4. All things living He doth feed, �His full hand supplies their need;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

5. He His chosen race did bless �In the wasteful wilderness;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

6. He hath with a piteous eye �Looked upon our misery;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

7. Let us with a gladsome mind �Praise the Lord for he is kind
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure

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MEMORISE:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62

READ: Luke 9:57-62

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE
Situations in the world today can make any child of God backslide if he or she is not well-grounded in His word. Knowing this, Jesus Christ told the disciples in John 16:33, “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”.

Just after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Peter decided to return to his former trade of fishing along with some other disciples (John 21:3). Many things could have been responsible for their decision to abandon their calling in Christ as evangelists to go back to fishing. Peter and the other disciples that followed him must have felt the future was bleak since their expectation of Jesus as the political Messiah was dashed at His crucifixion. They may also have been disappointed over the fact that, upon His resurrection, Jesus Christ did not restore the sovereignty of Israel as a nation, as expected. This made them ask, “…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Beloved, what may cause you to contemplate going back into the world? Is it joblessness, a troublesome spouse, a failed business, yet-to-be-fulfilled dreams, betrayal from friends or loved ones? Take a cue from Paul -an apostle of Christ, when he asked rhetorically:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:35, 37.

Jesus Christ in our memory verse today warns us against going back when He says that, having decided to work for the Lord, anyone who goes back to the world is not fit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62). Therefore beloved, going back because of what you are passing through is not an option because the Bible says that we should hold fast that profession of our faith without wavering (Hebrews 10:23). The good news is that glory is waiting ahead of you if only you can hold on to Christ and never go back to the world (Colossians 1:27′ Psalm 30:5).

PRAYER POINT
Father, please keep me in Your arms, don’t let me fall away from the faith, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 21-23

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;
O 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;
O bear me safe above,
a ransomed soul!

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MEMORISE
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:19

READ: Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

MESSAGE
Shining in darkness is one thing but to shine in broad daylight is something else entirely. It is extraordinary.

The only way to shine broad daylight is to surrender your life to Christ – the Bright and Morning Star. You cannot shine without Him because you have no light of your own. You must become a disciple of Jesus Christ if you want to shine like Him and to achieve this you must obey His word and continue in it (John 8:31-32).

You can only shine when you reflect the light of the Bright and Morning Star. When the Bright and Morning Star takes over one’s life, many pleasant things begin to happen to that person. For example, Jesus the Bright and Morning Star deliberately came to this world poor, so that through His poverty, we might become rich, according to 2 Corinthians 8:9 which says:
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Flourishing when the economy of nations and the world in general is struggling is an example of shining as the Bright and Morning Star. Being perfectly whole in the midst of a pandemic is another great example since you have already been healed by the stripes of the Bright and Morning Star (I Peter 2:2).

One of the fastest ways of shining like the Bright and Morning Star is to continue to do, what He has commissioned us His followers, to do: soul winning. Our memory verse says that we His followers shall be wise and shine like the sun; that when we win souls, we shall shine like stars. Prov. 11:30 tells us that those who win souls are wise. To shine like the Bright and Morning Star, we must therefore be wise – we must win souls.

It is an open secret that I began to shine the moment I made up my mind to win souls into the Kingdom of God. You also can become a star today. Accept Jesus as your Lord, begin to win souls for Him and you will shine forever.

ACTION POINT
Begin to win soul today and the Bright and Morning Star will shine through you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 18-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

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

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

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 your soul shall have
If you’ll only look to Him. Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus, who alone can save.

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MEMORISE
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16

READ: Revelation 22:12 -16

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

MESSAGE
Jesus introduced Himself as the Bright and Morning Star in our Bible reading today before making some important declarations concerning His expectations from us as well as our promised reward. HE was very clear about His expectations because not only does He want us to be like Him, He also wants us to perform greater works (John 12:14).

To become shinning stars like our Lord Jesus, we must acknowledge that we were filthy sinners before we encounter Jesus (1 John 1:7-9); Romans 3:23). This knowledge will take us to Calvary where the Bright and Morning Star bled and died for us to access forgiveness and cleansing. This is when we confess and repent of our sins. Two, we must live strictly by Hs standards. Many people want to benefit from the innumerable blessings of the Bright and Morning Star including shinning in the darkness of this world, but they are not ready to surrender completely to His Lordship. If Adam and Eve had known whom they belonged to, they would never have succumbed to the deceit of the devil which suddenly turned their day into night.

What are the characteristics of the Bright and Morning Star? He never sinned; hence,to shine like Him we too must live a sin-free life. Many may claim that this is impossible, but it is possible because the Bible says those who are born of God do not sin; indeed, they cannot sin because the seed of God is within them (1John 3:9). How? John 1:11-12 says that as many as believe Jesus He gives power to become children of God.

The Bright and Morning Star has never been overwhelmed by darkness; even in the day, He still shines brightly to the whole world. The Bible says, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:5). Sickness is a form of darkness and Jesus Christ was never sick. I therefore declare that the Bright and Morning Star will make sickness history in your life.

Do you want to shine like the Bright and Morning Star? Give your life to Him first, and then begin to live strictly by His commandment.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please send your light upon me and let me begin to shine like my Lord- the Bright and Morning Star, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 15-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHIN LESS.

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.

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,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.

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MEMORISE
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalms 90:12

READ: Job 14:1 -2
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

MESSAGE

There are many lessons we can learn when we number our days in other words, when we put a tally on our days in order to evaluate how we are faring. Numbering our days in whatever form such as birthdays, anniversaries of special events and son on can teach us great lessons and wisdom according to our memory verse today.

Why should we number our days? Our Bible reading for today gives us an answer. Man, born of a woman is of few days and even these few days are full of trouble. The Scripture likened man to a flower that blossoms then gets cut down and as a shadow that eventually disappears. These clearly show that man’s time on earth is short and hence must not be wasted.

We can count our days effectively by evaluating our lives, asking such questions as, “Do I have a goal at all? “What are my goals” “To what extent have I achieved my goals?” “Since I have a few days and these few days are full of challenges within and without, what am I doing in preparation for eternity?”

We can also number our days effectively by counting our blessing like the Psalmist did when he penned Psalm 103 – particularly verse 1 to 5. This will give us a sense of gratitude to God who has blessed us with multiple blessings even within our short stay here on earth. The Bible says:
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:14-15

Another important reason we should number our days is the evaluation of how much work we have done for the Lord. When we consider the Great Commission (Mark 16:15) and remember that we have limited time on earth, it compels us to work harder and faster as the work of the Master demands urgency (John 9:4).

May the Almighty God help us to make excellent use of our time here on earth, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT
Ensure you evaluate your life carefully, count your blessings and name them one by one. Also, commit to doing more for the kingdom of God

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 9-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 27: WHEN UPON LIFE’S BILLOWS YOU ARE TEMPEST TOSSED
1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

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

3 When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

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