Monthly Archives: April 2022

MEMORISE: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Philippians 3:10

READ: Philippians 3:7 -10
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

MESSAGE
In Philippians 3:7-10, Apostle Paul told us several things that he let go of, for just one single purpose: that he might know God . When l was a younger Christian,whenever someone asked if l knew God, my answer was always a big “Yes”. However, something, happened some years ago that made me change that answer from “Yes” to “l am just beginning to know Him”. l have been born again for close to 50 years ago and up to now, l am still learning more and more about God. There are different levels of knowing God and you can only know Him to the extent of how much of Himself He reveals to you in line with how diligent you seek Him. In Psalm .103:7, the Bible says:
He made known his ways to Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

How well do you want to know God? Are you willing to seek Him so diligently that He would reveal some of His secrets to you? John 15:5 says that God share deep things with His friends. HIs friends are those who do His will (John 15:14). His friends are those who are diligent about seeking Him. They seek Him so diligently that they are ready to let go of several pleasures just to know Him more. If fasting for three days is too much a price to pay to know God more, then you are not seeking Him diligently. I am talking about fasting and praying when you are not asking Him for anything other than, “Lord, l just want to draw closer to you”? I am talking about spending hours in personal fellowship. I am talking about evangelism and doing God’s work as if you are being paid a huge salary for doing it.

Those who seek God diligent always do so early. Proverb 8: 17

One thing that determines if you will discover God is how early you seek Him. If you keep postponing your search for deeper things in God, you may never find Him. It is those that seek Him early who will find Him. For them, they put everything else aside just to seek Him. Are you among those who are desperate to know God? If so, seek Him diligently. Seek Him early.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please draw me closer to You; I just want to know You more.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 23-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN28: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

4 Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.

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MEMORISE:
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Luke 15:4

READ: Luke 15:3 -7
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

MESSAGE
One other major reason I am determined never to backslide is that I don’t want to cause God any heartache. In the Bible reading for today, the Lord asked if there was anyone who would not go after one lost sheep even if they still had a flock of ninety-nine in their care. If we review this scenario described by our Lord Jesus a little more closely, we would realize that a shepherd would only know that one of the sheep is missing in the evening because a flock of a hundred sheep and that of ninety-nine sheep would look alike at a glance. The shepherd would only get to know of the missing sheep when he counts them at night, just before he rests from the day’s work. However, upon discovering that one sheep is missing, he would immediately resume work and begin to search for it. I don’t want to cause my Lord Jesus Christ any heartache; if anything at all, I want to bring Him joy.

The story in our text tells us that, until He finds that missing sheep, the Shepherd would not rest. Also, the fact that when He found the sheep, He came back rejoicing shows that when He was looking for the sheep, He was in sorrow. I don’t want my life to cause sorrow to the Almighty. I don’t know about you, but I, Adeboye, will only bring joy to the Lord and not sorrow.

The story is even deeper than that. Luke 15:7 tells us that there is rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. You see, there are two opposite sides in the Spirit realm-Light and darkness. Each time somebody gets born again, there is sorrow in hell because the devil has lost somebody, so the devil pursues that fellow with the intention of bringing him back into his company. Each time a Christian backslides, there is rejoicing in the camp of the devil. Let me give you an illustration: If you used to be an unbeliever, constantly at the bar drinking with many friends, then got born again, your former drinking partners would begin to avoid you because your life would now become a challenge to them. Just seeing you alone would make them feel condemned. Can you then imagine what would happen if one day they suddenly saw you back at the bar? They would shout for joy and drink more than they normally do that day. Each time a Christian backslides, he or she would make the devil celebrate and bring displeasure to God, I pray you will never cause God any form of displeasure, in Jesus’ name.

REFLECTION
In what ways have you been causing Jesus heartache? Repent today and commit to only bring Him joy henceforth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 17-19

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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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: 2 Peter 2:20 -22
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

MESSAGE
There are several reasons every Christian should pray and work earnestly never to backslide. One of these is that anyone who strays from the path of righteousness will dwell in the congregation of the dead (Proverbs 21:16).

When we got born again, we were translated from the kingdom of darkness into light – we passed from death to life. To go back to the congregation of dead is a terrible thing that all Christians must do everything possible to avoid. Hebrews 10:38-39 states clearly that:

Now the just shall life by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

God has absolutely no pleasure in backslider. The moment a child of God backslides, he or she immediately becomes unfit to enter the Kingdom of God as we read in our memory verse today.

The moment you backslide, God says “You have lost the qualification required to enter into His kingdom”. The interesting thing about this is that once the devil sees that a person is displeasing God, he comes in and pushes the fellow to the point where he can make a mockery of him or her.
I know many people who backslid and first thought that they were free from all the ‘restrictions’ of the gospel but soon realized that they had become objects of mockery. Their end was indeed terrible.

The prodigal son for example backslid and thought he was free from his father’s rules and regulations, but he did not know that the devil was pushing him to the point where he would beg to eat food served to pigs. As for me, I am determined never to backslide.

If you are currently considering the pleasure of this world, remember that it is just a bait for the devil to get you. Hold fast that which you have in the Lord, so that someone else does not take your place in Christ (Revelation 3:11).

KEYPOINT
Backsliders may think they are having fun at first, but soon they will end up as objects of mockery for the devil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 11-13

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! [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]

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MEMORISE: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase. Job 8:7

READ: Micah 7:7 -10
7 Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

10 Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

MESSAGE
In Genesis 16:4, after Sarah’s maid had become pregnant for Abraham, she began to mock Sarah. She mocked Sarah because she left God out of the calculation. Though Sarah’s case looked impossible at the time, before long, she was carrying her own baby too. No matter how desperate your situation may be, nobody has the right to write you off yet. Just as they may be thinking of writing you off, the Almighty God will arise and change your situation for the better.

Someone once preached a message about the power of ‘yet’. He encouraged his congregation that whenever they want to answer a question that seems embarrassing, they should remember to add the word ‘yet’.
For example, if you are marriageable but not yet married, whenever you are asked, “Are married? Your answer should be “I am not married YET”. If you are asked, “Do you have a car?” when you don’t have one, simply respond “I don’t have a car YET”. This preacher went on to say that when you add the word ‘yet’ to your answer, you are asserting that the way things are now is not the same way they would be in the future. You are saying, in essence, “Don’t write me off; you just wait and see, my miracle will soon arrive”.

Beyond adding the word ‘yet’ when answering seemingly embarrassing questions, you must believe it yourself. You must ensure that you are not writing yourself off. You must ensure that you are seeing yourself going higher and not remaining in that situation. Ecclesiastes 9:4 tells us that as long as you are alive, there is hope. If God has kept you alive up to this moment, then He must have a great plan for you. Revelations 3:7 says that He has the key of David, so whatever He opens is opened and whatever He shuts is shut. He has not written you off, so no matter what anybody thinks, you will be great.

I remember when things were very tough for my family. My wife and I used to share just one small piece of ponmon (cow hide) to go with our meals, as it was the cheapest kind of meat. I would tell her back then, “Darling, things will not always be like this, you know? Our tomorrow will be alright”. Today, by the special grace of God, if we want to eat one cow per day, my God will provide it. Say to yourself, “Thing will get better. My tomorrow will be alright, in the mighty name of Jesus.”

KEYPOINT
Your tomorrow will be alright.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 7-10

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;
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;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

3 There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer 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;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

5 Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

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MEMORISE: Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1

READ: James 4:13 -16
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

MESSAGE
One of the ways to know a true Christian is by what he or she says. When I see Christian talk about what they want to do or what they gave done without any reference to the grace of God, I wonder how strong their relationship with the Lord is, John 15:5 says: …for without me ye can do nothing.

Grace is a gift from God that can also be summarily described as ‘God’s help’. You need to understand that without grace -‘God’s Help’, you can do nothing. Even waking up in the morning is by the grace of God. You would therefore be taking the grace of God for granted when you begin to boast about the things you have done or that you plan to do without acknowledging the grace of God, which empowers you. In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told the story of a rich man who had gathered a great harvest. In all that this man said, he did not acknowledge God who made that harvest possible. At the end of the day, all his boastings came to nought because he died that very night.

Beloved, please don’t take God’s grace for granted; it is only by His grace that you are alive today. It is only by His grace that you are alive today. It is only by His grace that you are where you are, what you are and have what you have. It does not matter how intelligent, strong or connected you are; if God were to withdraw His grace from you, you would soon realize that you can do nothing without Him.

*Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.*
Psalm 127:1

From 1 Corinthinas 3:6, we see that human efforts without God’s grace cannot yield results. Paul can plant, Apollos can water the plant, but the increase only comes from God. 1 Corithians 3:7 says specifically:
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

When you want to talk about something you did, always say, “I did so and so by the grace of God”. When talking about something you plan to do, say, “I will do so and so by the grace of God”. Always acknowledge the grace of God in all you do and plan to do.

KEYPOINT
Without God we are nothing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 3- 6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: JESUS MY LORD MY GOD MY ALLl
1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling place
pour down the riches of thy grace.

Refrain:
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;
O make me love thee more and more.

2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy name? [Refrain]

3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought! [Refrain]

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