Monthly Archives: October 2023

MEMORISE: He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see John 9:25 (KJV)

READ: John 9:1-11 (KJV)

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

MESSAGE
Yesterday we discussed how the resurrection of Jesus Christ confirmed His Lordship. This, in essence, establishes that only the One with the power over death can be Lord indeed. Today we shall look at another aspect of Jesus Christ’s Lordship – His dominion over all calamities and sicknesses, as seen in Isaiah 6l:1. Luke 4:18 also corroborates this:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. When Jesus was confronted face to face with the madman of Gadara, for example, He demonstrated this virtue as the Great Deliverer and Miracle Worker when He cast out the demons that had held the madman captive for years (Luke 8:26-39).

Jesus came to preach the gospel to the poor for all-around salvation, and rebuked with authority all who tried to oppose Him. For example, He preached: “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). To this and many of His teachings, it was said: “And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29). Our Lord Jesus Christ was asked to prove His Lordship in John 10:24-25. All He did was to simply refer His ‘interviewers’ to the work that His Father had been doing through Him. He said: “the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.” (John 10:25).
As children of God, we must be able to represent Jesus Christ adequately. All you need is to give your life to Jesus and live by His commandments.

I prophesy to you today: you will graduate from being a miracle consumer to a miracle worker, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please empower me to represent You to the whole world

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I Am Thine O Lord

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,�And it told Thy love to me;�But I long to rise in the arms of faith,�And be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain:
�Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,�To the cross where Thou hast died;�Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,�To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,�By the pow’r of grace divine;�Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,�And my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]

3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour�That before Thy throne I spend,�When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,�I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know�Till I cross the narrow sea;�There are heights of joy that I may not reach�Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]

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MEMORISE: And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah 2 Chronicles 20:3 (KJV)

READING Esther 4:16-5:3 (KJV)

16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Esther 5:1-3
1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.

MESSAGE
There was this man called Mordecai – Esther’s uncle. There was also Haman – an officer of the king, who hated Mordecai.

Haman expected everybody to bow to him, but Mordecai wouldn’t bow to anybody except God. Haman decided to hang him and destroy his people completely by getting the king to sign the death warrant of all the Israelites. When Mordecai heard of the decree from the king, he went to Esther, who was then the queen, for help.

Esther replied in Esther 4:1-17 that they should all fast, and then she would go and see the king. They fasted for just three days and things began to change from that point. By the time we got to Esther 5:1-6, Esther appeared before the king without being summoned and the first result of the fasting was that instead of the king asking her to be killed, he spared her life.

Fasting can change death to life. The next thing that happened was that Esther found unusual favour before the king. The king told Esther that though he is yet to know what she wants, but she should consider it granted already, even up to half of his kingdom. When you fast, you get more than you ask for. By the time we get to Esther 6, the king couldn’t sleep until he honoured Mordecai. A good deed that Mordecai did many years previously, which had been forgotten, made the king restless until it was repaid.

When you take fasting seriously, all your past benefits that you have been denied can be brought forward and handed over to you. In Esther 7, the enemy of the entire nation became completely uprooted, and then in Esther 8, the house of Haman was given over to Esther. Proverbs 13:22 says that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just; do you think the wicked will let go of their wealth easily? You get it by fasting and praying. Wealth changes hands when you fast.

Mordecai also got promoted because promotion comes from God (Psalm 75:6-7), and since fasting draws you closer to God, it leads to promotion. Finally, in Esther 8:3-17, the Jews were saved from destruction, and the Bible also says all the people around became Jews because they were afraid of the Jews. Fasting is a powerful weapon of warfare. Begin to use this weapon today.

KEY POINT

Fasting is a powerful weapon of warfare and a vehicle of promotion.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 19-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: Ancient Words

1. Holy words long preserved�For our walk in this world�They resound with God’s own heart�Oh, let the ancient words impart
Chorus�Ancient words ever true�Changing me and changing you�We have come with open hearts�Oh, let the ancient words impart

2. Words of Life, words of Hope�Give us strength, help us cope�In this world, where e’er we roam�Ancient words will guide us home

3. Holy words of our Faith�Handed down to this age�Came to us through sacrifice�Oh heed the faithful words of Christ

4. Holy words long preserved�For our walk in this world�They resound with God’s own heart�Oh let the ancient words impart

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MEMORISE: But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. John 5:17 (KJV)

READ: Hebrews 4:8-11 (KJV)

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

MESSAGE

Some people take the work of Christ as an excuse for being lazy.
They think that because of God’s many promises, they can relax and not work. That is a big lie.
Even Paul – the Apostle of grace, worked (1 Corinthians 4:12). Anointed as he was, he laboured with his own hands. Students who refuse to study but say: “It is written; the Holy Spirit will remind us” should note that He would only remind them of what they have studied. If you don’t study, what would He remind you of? The youths in our Churches and nations must stop looking for quick money and work diligently. You have the internet and many things that have made your work easier.

Those who work hard never beg. They become strong, wealthy and very great. Don’t spend all your time on social media or watching television. The people you are watching are working hard to make something of themselves.
Many years ago, I was in my uncle’s house on a visit from school. One day, there were masquerades outside the house, and everyone watched and cheered them while I was studying inside. He came to me and said, “Won’t you go and see the masquerades?” I responded with a Yoruba proverb translated, “The person who will be watched does not go around watching people”.

My uncle reminded me of that day because now, l am being watched.
If you want to be great, you cannot be spending countless hours watching videos on social media. Get out there and work. Some people only pray and fast and then complain when things don’t get better for them. Praying and fasting are not the keys to success; they can only enhance your efforts.

If you put in no effort, then what will it enhance? One million multiplied by zero is equal to zero.

One of my sons says that you must pray like you will not work and work like you will not pray.
As prayerful as I am, even at my age, I wake up before the sun is up every morning to work. I don’t say because I prayed for six hours last night, then I should sleep all morning today; that is not how I got to where I am now. Believe me honestly, if you are lazy, God will not use you. He needs diligent people; that is why Hebrews 11:6 says He only rewards those who diligently seek Him.

KEY POINT

Work hard today so you would not be a slave to others tomorrow.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: Luke 11-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: Rock Of Ages, Cleft For Me
1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me, �let me hide myself in thee; �let the water and the blood, �from thy wounded side which flowed, �be of sin the double cure; �save from wrath and make me pure.

2 Not the labors of my hands �can fulfill thy law’s demands; �could my zeal no respite know, �could my tears forever flow, �all for sin could not atone; �thou must save, and thou alone.

3 Nothing in my hand I bring, �simply to the cross I cling; �naked, come to thee for dress; �helpless, look to thee for grace; �foul, I to the fountain fly; �wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath, �when mine eyes shall close in death, �when I soar to worlds unknown, �see thee on thy judgment throne, �Rock of Ages, cleft for me, �let me hide myself in thee.

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MEMORISE: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 1 Timothy 6:17

READ: 1 Timothy 6:17 -19

17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

MESSAGE

One of the major benefits of being a child of God is prosperity. Deuteronomy 8:18 says that God gives us the power to get wealth. In 3 John 2, He says clearly: “Beloved, l wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

One thing is clear from these Scriptures: God wants us to be prosperous. 2 Corinthians 8:9 even says that Jesus become poor so that we can be rich. The question now is: why does God want His children to prosper?

Firstly, no father would want his children to suffer. His children suffering would make him look like an irresponsible father. God wants you to prosper simply because you are His child. Psalm 128:1-2 backs this up: “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”

After you have become prosperous however, God wants you to use that wealth to build His Kingdom. Zechariah 1:17 said: “Cry yet, saying , Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.”

After God has prospered you, He expects you to use that prosperity to spread the gospel of His Kingdom abroad. He expects you to do things to advance His kingdom on earth and win more souls for Him. This means that if you are prosperous and not sponsoring Kingdom projects, then you need to have a change of mind. You need to be more concerned about using your money for God than for any other thing

David wondered how he could be living in a palace, when his God is being worshipped in a tent (2 Samuel 7:2). This made him set out to build a temple for God. He was so determined to spend for God that even when God told him not to build the temple, he did not keep his money to himself; rather, he provided everything that Solomon needed to build it. If you have this kind of heart, you would see how God will promote and bless you, even more than you can imagine.

KEY POINT

God prospers His children so that they can use the prosperity to spread the gospel of Christ abroad.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 7-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW

1 Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.

Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

2 Jesus loves me he who died
heaven’s gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in. [Refrain]

3 Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, “Let them come to me.” [Refrain]

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MEMORISE: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

READ : MARK 16:15-18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

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

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

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

MESSAGE

As a child matures, he or she will get to the point where the parents can hand over some of their duties to him or her. In the same vein, as we mature in Christ, we are to start doing the works of Christ. That is why Jesus said in John 14:12 that we are to do the works that He did and indeed, greater works.

Jesus was a teacher of the word.
Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 5:12: “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”

There comes a time in the life of a Christian when he or she ought to have started teaching others the gospel of Christ. Many believers don’t get to this level because they only read their Bibles rather than study deeply. When you read, you read to be informed, but when you study, you study to be transformed. It is after you are transformed by the word that you begin too long to see that same transformation in others and that longing pushes you to start teaching it. There are those who have memorized the longest chapter in the Bible, but they cannot teach the simple doctrines of faith because the Word hasn’t transformed them. Don’t just read the Bible, study it. When you experience the transforming power of the Word, you will be eager to start teaching it too.

Another work that Jesus did which we are also expected to do, is the working of miracles.
Miracles are not the exclusive reserve of Pastors only; they are for all Christians. Jesus said in Mark 16:17, “These signs shall follow them that believe”.
As long as you are a child of God, when someone is sick around you, you are to lay hands on them so that they can recover. Many Christians don’t do this because while they have been in the faith for long, they have not been deliberate about their spiritual growth. Such people don’t spend quality time in God’s presence, praying, studying His word, and seeking His anointing.

You must be deliberate about your spiritual growth because our Lord Jesus Christ expects you to grow in Him and perform greater works than He did during His earthly ministry.

KEY POINT:

Jesus expects you to do the works He did, and greater works indeed.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: Luke 1-2

AUTHOR: Pastor E . A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18 – 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.

CHORUS�Trust and obey!�For there’s no other way�To be happy in Jesus,�But to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,�Not a cloud in the skies,�But His smile quickly drives it away;�Not a doubt nor a fear,�Not a sigh nor a tear,�Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,�Not a sorrow we share�But our toil He doth richly repay;�Not a grief nor a loss,�Not a frown nor a cross,�But is blest if we trust and obey

4. But we never can prove�The delights of His love,�Until all on the altar we lay,�For the favour He shows�And the joy He bestows�Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. 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: Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 34:1-11 (KJV)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lordshall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

MESSAGE

Fresh Christians are always joyful in the house of God.
When you see a fresh Christian during praise and worship, the fellow will be singing and dancing with joy, unlike some so called big men of God who have now become so familiar with the Lord that they can’t dance for Him anymore.
Many years ago, while waving my tambourine and dancing for my Maker during the praise and worship session at a Pastors’ meeting, a big man of God tapped me and said, “Look at you, a whole General Overseer, dancing like that”.
I told him I would never stop dancing for the One who made me the General Overseer of RCCG. David, with all his majesty, never outgrew dancing for God.
In fact, 2 Samuel 6:14 says he danced with all his might. What was the result? God kept lifting him steadily.
He went from becoming king of Jerusalem to king of Israel and kept progressing until he became the father of the King of kings.
Even the key of God that opens and none can shut is called the key of David.
Fresh Christians never outgrow praising God even after several years of surrendering their lives to Christ.

However, people who see themselves as too big to dance for God because they think they are no longer new in the faith have allowed themselves to become stale Christians.
Fresh Christians submit to the authority God has placed over them. You will always hear them say,
“My Pastor said…”, and the blessings of obedience always follow them (2 Chronicles 20:20). Many years ago, my Father-in-the-Lord told all the workers in the Church to empty their bank accounts and bring the money to Church.
The next Sunday, when he was meeting with us again, he said the need had been met, then he asked, “How many of you actually obeyed the instruction? Only my wife and I raised our hands. As far as we were concerned, it was God saying it, so we obeyed.
The other people who had been in the Church long before us however did not obey. In return, God raised us to become the leaders of the Church.
You must never become so familiar with men of God that you begin to disobey and disrespect them. That is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but rather, of spiritual staleness and death.

KEY POINT
A fresh Christian never outgrows praising God and obeying Him at all times.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Mark 12-13

AUTHOR: Pastor E . A ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;�to his feet your tribute bring.�Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,�evermore his praises sing.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor�to his people in distress.�Praise him, still the same as ever,�slow to chide, and swift to bless.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;�well our feeble frame he knows.�In his hand he gently bears us,�rescues us from all our foes.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;�you behold him face to face.�Sun and moon, bow down before him,�dwellers all in time and space.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Praise with us the God of grace!

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MEMORISE: In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

READ: Revelation 21:1 -27

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

MESSAGE

There are great and beautiful cities in the world. There are cities where the streets are all clean, there are well kept parks, the taxis are luxurious cars and so on. However, as beautiful, organized and perfect as these cities may appear, there is one that makes them all look greatly underdeveloped in comparison.

In this city, the streets are paved with the purest kind of gold you can imagine (Revelation 21:21). The gold trinkets and accessories that people wear and show off in this world are all of low quality compared to the one we will be walking on in that city. Clearly, this city is one where there will be absolutely no poverty. In this city, all struggles will be over. The government of this city is so efficient that they ensure that nobody lacks anything; in fact, the poorest fellow will be living in a mansion. Our memory verse today makes this abundantly clear. That great city is one of great wealth and privilege, where one would not want for any good thing.

Not only does the government cater to the material needs of every citizen of this city, it also provides for their emotional needs.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4

This is one city l will give anything to relocate to. How can one become a citizen? Revelation 21:27 tells us:

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

To ensure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, you must surrender all to Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, then commit to living holy for the rest of your life.

REFLECTION

Is your name written in the Book of Life of the Lamb of God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is
your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear;
now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, above
all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings,
and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all
that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who will
prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy
shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all
that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath,
come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound
from his people again;
gladly forever adore him

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MEMORISE: But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalms 3:3

READ: 1 Samuel 2:7 -9

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

MESSAGE

Jesus is The Way upward. He said in John 12:32: “And, if l be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ Jesus is always drawing people upward. Believe me honestly, the only person who can truly promote you is Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe me, read Psalm 75:6-7:

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

God is the promoter. If man lifts you, man will bring you down. In any case, man is limited in many ways. A man may want to lift you with his position, but what if he gets fired before he fulfills his promise? Who even told you that the fellow would be alive by the time you need his help? The only One who can guarantee your upward movement is God. That is why He is the only real way upward.

When l was to turn 40 years old, l had a vision where God showed me two graphs. In mathemathics, we call them parabolas. One was a heads-up parabola, and the other was a head-down parabola. At the turning point of each of these parabolas was written 40, l knew clearly that this was referring to my 40th birthday. The Lord then asked me, “Which of these graphs do you prefer? I chose the head-down parabola because it meant that at 40 years old, l would be at my lowest point and from there on, it would be upward movement as opposed to the other graph, which implied that l was at my highest point at 40. The Lord then said that if l wanted Him to keep promoting me, l had to let go of all my big titles and simply be addressed as ‘Pastor’. True to His word, since then, l have been going upwards.

Humility is the key for anyone who wants Jesus to lift him or her higher. The Bible says:

Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

If you want God to promote you beyond your peers, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and emulate His humility.

KEY POINT

Jesus is the way upward, but He only lift the humble.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 23-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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