MEMORISE:
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

READ: Genesis 37:5-11

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

MESSAGE

Down through the ages, visualizing the future has always been one of the attributes of great men and women. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect example of a person who kept His focus on the future He saw ahead of Him. Today’s memory verse reveals that this attribute helped Him to accomplish His task on earth. He endured arrest, humiliation and death, even though He had the power to prevent it all, because He knew the glorious future awaiting Him after His work on earth was done. When He was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and one of His disciples tried to defend Him by drawing his sword, Jesus commanded him to stand down, saying in Matthew 26:53-54:

“ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

Those who can visualize their glorious future ignore the present obstacle in their way, forging ahead to reach their goals. An example of such a person is Joseph. Even though his childish disposition exposed him to the fury of his brothers, resulting in his enslavement and imprisonment, the glorious future he saw kept him undeterred. He kept faith in God of his fathers and would not be corrupted by the promiscuity of his mater’s wife. In Genesis 39:9c, His response to her evil advances was this:
“how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Beloved, the ability to visualize the future will enable you work hard and live holy, even in the face of hardship, suffering and persecution. Students who catch a glimpse of the honor awaiting them at the end of their academic programme will ignore any suffering attached to their burning of the midnight candle. A pregnant woman endures the pain of labor because of the joy of another life coming through her. As a child of God, it takes seeing the glory awaiting us in the future to endure the attacks of the enemy. Having seen this future glory, Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 wrote:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

We must not allow the present situation in the world to becloud our vision of Heaven. Our Lord said we should not let our hearts be troubled, for He will soon return to take us home (John 14:1-3). We must keep this vision of the glorious future alive in our hearts.

ACTION POINT:
Father, let the vision of Your glorious return continually burn in my hreart in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 25-29

Amos 3:3-4:3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

READ: Matthew 19:27-29

27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

MESSAGE

Our God is a benevolent God who gives generous rewards for good deeds. In Hebrews 11:6, He is called a “Rewarder of them that deligently seek Him”. Thank God that Jesus was very clear on what our rewards would be when Peter asked Him what would become of those who had left all to follow Him. In today’s Bible reading, He assuredly affirmed that all our labors in His kingdom would be adequately rewarded here and hereafter. As if our Lord knew that there would be a disciple like Enoch Adeboye who would also ask, “What about us, the latter-day generation of Your disciples?” He therefore added in Matthew 19:29:

“ And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”

Time and again, the Old Testament shows God rewarding good deeds in the lives of the patriarchs and matriachs of old. Abraham is a great example of this; he got a child of promise in old age as a reward for being hospitable (Genesis 1:8). The widow of Zarephath is another example; God provided her with food for three and a half years during a time of famine because she gave her last meal to God’s prophet (1 Kings 17:9-15). Obed-Edom accommodated the ark of God in his home and within three months, the rich King David envied him, because the great Rewarder had blessed him so much (2 Samuel 6:10-12). No wonder the Holy Spirit says in Hebrews 6:10:

“ For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”

Looking through the New Testament, we also see Peter who left everything at the Lake Gennesaret to follow Jesus now having at least one cathedral named after him in almost all nations of the world. Our God is the greatest giver of rewards. I therefore encourage you to serve Him with all your heart, you will not regret it. Even if your pastor seems not to acknowledge your service, your Father in heaven who sees your work for Him in secret will reward you in the open (Matthew 6:18). Be encouraged, and keep up your good work.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me to serve You with all my heart for who You are to me, and please don’t let me do anything that will cause me to lose my reward here and after.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 21-24

Amos2:4-3:2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING
1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

o Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

3. There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5. There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way. Good

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MEMORISE:
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5

READ: John 1:1-9

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

MESSAGE
Beloved, the Lord is asking you today if you are a shinning light in darkness. He is asking you this question because He has already declared who you are in this regard, saying in Matthew 5:14:
*“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”*

He therefore wants to know how well you have done in fulfilling His word. To remove doubts from the hearts of those who think perhaps the time to shine is sometime away in the future, the Holy Spirit said in Isaiah 60:1:

*“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.”*

Beloved, it is time to shine in this dark world. The darkness in the world is becoming thicker and more palpable by the day, and for this reason we have no more time to waste. We have allowed darkness and its agents to be comfortable for too long now. Some decades ago, when a Christian was present in an organization, no matter how young, small or low rank he was, the agents of darkness in that establishment could not be comfortable. It is however disheartening that nowadays Christians are not just making them comfortable, they are also joining them to perpetrate works of darkness. Such as fraudulent practices, looting and even modern occultism. While excusing themselves for not shining as light, some children of God say, “The agents of darkness are much more than the children of light.” They fail to recognize that even a little light is able to overcome any form of darkness, because the Bible says in John 1:5:
*“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”*

In order to successfully shine in a world filled with palpable darkness, you need to recognize that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, and He wants to shine through you to illuminate the darkness in this world (John 8:12). As the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ shines through you when you stand as His witness in words and lifestyle. In other words, you must speak of Him everywhere and also represent Him through your lifestyle. He has done His part by dying on the cross, and now He continues His priestly ministry in heaven, interceding for us at the right hand of power. He left us in the world to bear witness to the Light that He is, so that darkness may vanish from the world. We must not disappoint Him in this assignment. Beloved, we have no excuse for not shining in the darkness of this world. Although we have no power of our own, we have been empowered to shine through righteous living, good works and showing love to the oppressed and downtrodden. Let us therefore arise, shine and give glory to our Father as we drive away the darkness of evil in our society.

PRAYER POINT:
*Father, please don’t let my light be extinguished by the darkness of this world. *

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 17-20
Amos1:1-2:3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7

READ: 1 Peter 4:1-10

1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

MESSAGE
Constrating the world of godliness with that of ungodliness, the Holy Spirit sent us this command, saying in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18:
“ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Because our God is a jealous God, He has always desired those who are called to be His special people to stand out as distinct from the ungodly. Enoch is a perfect example in this regard- God completely took him away to be with Him (Genesis 5:24). God also commanded Abraham to get out of his father’s house and country for an exclusive encounter with Him (Genesis 12:1-3). Beloved, God has not changed His standard of separation for consecration today. More than ever before, He wants us to take a stand for Him in these perilous times, especially as the devil is on rampage to gather as many people as possible to be with him in hell. Speaking on his rage and the urgency of his mission, Revelation 12:12 says:

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

If the devil had a short time when this verse was written, how much more now? We therefore need to be on our guard against his fury and wiles.

God is encountering you today to make up your mind not to compromise your Christian faith on any issue at all. One area of compromise is participating in the excesses of the children of this world: excesses of parties, clothing jewellery, leisure and so on. Due to extravagant living, a lot of chriatians have gone into debt in their bid to compete with treasury looters. Some Christians with access to the treasury have even joined the world in looting. What a shame! We must be on our watch so as not to be overtaken by the subtle advances of the devil, which can shipwreck our faith. This is why the Holy Spirt warns us in our memory verse to watch in the place of prayer. Beloved, are you really watching in prayer? You can only take a stand for God when your ears are open to what He is saying to you in the place of prayer concerning issues of your daily life. Our Lord told the disciples to watch and pray so that they might not enter into temptation, but instead of doing this, they fell asleep (Matthew 26:41). No wonder they could not take a stand for Him in His hour of tribulation (Matthew 26:55-75). Are you watching in the place of prayer today?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to always take a stand for You in this pervese generation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 13-16

Joel 3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED.

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

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MEMORISE:

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8

READ: Daniel 3:14-18

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Daniel 3:28-30

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

MESSAGE

It is natural for every human being to desire to attain a higher position, output or level of productivity in every sphere of endeavor. However, it is sad that not everyone is ready to pay the price needed to attain this higher level. Do you desire to go higher in your pursuits in life? Anyone who desires advancement in their career, ministry, business or academics must acknowledge that in God’s created order, you cannot expect an output where there is not input. In other words, there is a price to pay to obtain anything good in life. In today’s memory verse, we have a good example in Daniel who desired to make excellent stride in his pursuits. When he and his friends were enrolled in the University of Babylon, they immediately determined in their hearts that they would graduate with first class honors and distinctions, even though they were in a strange land. To Daniel and his colleagues, it was necessary for them to defer the delicacies and luxurious lifestyle of a minister-in-making. The result of their choice to make sacrifices in order to achieve their goals is clearly seen in Daniel 1:20, which says:

“And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”

Our Bible reading further tells us about the price paid by three of Daniel’s colleagues before they were promoted to higher levels of their profession. The king they served had decreed that all his subjects must worship his graven image, but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declined to do so because they served a God who alone is worthy of worship. That decision was to cost them their lives, but rather than being bothered by this, they boasted of the saving power of their God, going further to tell the king that even if their God decided to take them home through the furnace, it would be better than bowing to a lifeless image made by men. The story ended with this great report in Daniel 3:30, saying:

“ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.”

God is looking for those who will take a stand for Him. Will He find you doing so in this world that pushes godliness to the background? Are you ready to stand on the principles of the Bible in a world controlled by the philosophy of men? The decision is yours to make. If people like Esther and the apostles of old could do it, you can do it too, and God will be glorified in your life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please take me to a higher level in all my life’s pursuits in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 9-12
Joel 2:18-32

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED.

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

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MEMORISE:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

READ: Psalm 24:3-6

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Hebrews 3:7-12
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

MESSAGE

Although God created man with glory and grandeur, this glory left him after sin entered his life. Thereafter, man became a shadow of his former self, because not only did God’s glory depart from his life, he was also sent packing from the garden of glory that used to be his home (Genesis 3:22-24). In the midst of this calamity, God devised a plan to redeem the destiny of mankind by raising a glorious generation to Himself from amongst men. However, this generation could only come to be through the righteousness of God, because a glorious generation is that generation that fears the Lord and walks in His righteousness. Describing the qualities of this generation, Psalm 24:4 says:
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

In other words, the glorious generation is that generation of people who walk in purity of heart, the works of whose hands are clean. The words of whose lips are pure and the souls of whom and sold-out-to God. We therefore deceive ourselves if we call ourselves the glorious generation but our character calls into question the holiness of God we claim to represent.

Children of God in this generation must endeavor not to be like the Israelites who were liberated from bondage in Egypt with the destiny of a glorious generation but ended up grieving the heart of God. It is sobering to read God’s description of that generation in Hebrews 3:10, saying;

“Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”

Unfortunately, this generation that was supposed to enter into God’s rest in a land flowing with milk and honey ended up perishing in the wilderness. This should serve as a great lesson to us today. Today’s memory verse declares that God has destined us to be a glorious generation. Nevertheless, we have to live a life that reflects we are indeed a glorious generation, through purity of heart, our manner of speech, the integrity of our works and a soul that is soul-out to God in love. Even through we live in a perverse world, we can still stand out as God’s shining standard. Beloved, remember that gold is brought out of dirt, so choose to be among the glorious generation that worships God in spirit and in truth, even in the midst of this crooked generation.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to represent Your glorious generation in all spheres of life in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 5-8
Joel 2:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE.

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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MEMORISE:
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? Psalm 115:2

READ: Jeremiah 17:13-16
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

MESSAGE

As a witness of the resurrection and saving power of Jesus Christ, I groan in the spirit whenever I see anyone who professes to be a child of God, like myself, suffering under the burden of sickness. I have zero tolerance for sickness in the lives of my children in the faith and fellow believers. This is why we frequently organized meetings where we stir up faith in the heart of believers to receive their healings. We do this for one singular reason expressed in today’s memory verse: we don’t want unbelievers to doubt what we say about our God. Divine healing is proof that He reigns in the affairs of men. Those who don’t believe in our God will believe when HE moves to heal diseases and sicknesses perceived to be incurable, like He did for the lame man at the temple’s gate (Acts 3:1-4:4). God healed him, and that singular miracle created a platform for Peter to preach God’s word, brining five thousand souls to the Lord. Pastors and preachers of God’s word must desire healing, not only for themselves but also for their ailing congregants, so that God’s word in their mouth will be established. This is why Jeremiah, a prophet of God, cried unto God for healing in today’s Bible reading.

Another reason why you and I must live in perfect health is found in Isaiah 53:5, which says:

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Our healing confirms that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and Savior of the whole world. Healing id part of the package delivered to us through His work of atonement. When we minister healing to the world in the Name of Jesus, we establish that the word of God we preach is the eternal truth that should be embraced. When people of other faiths are afflicted with seemingly incurable diseases and we tell them of the healing virtue in the Blood of atonement, the healing they receive after believing our message stands their faith in Christ on the firm foundation of God’s power. Such people will treasure their salvation and hold on to their faith to the very end. This is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5:

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Let us begin to desire and ask God for the gifts of healing more than ever before, because when we manifest these gifts, our assignment of evangelizing the world will be much easier. Do you desire the gifts of healing? Ask God for it today.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, heal me and impart the gifts of healing to me today, to the glory of Your Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-4
Joel 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Proverbs 29:1

READ: Exodus 14:5-13
5 And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?

6 And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:

7 And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.

8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

MESSAGE

An adage from the Igbos in Eastern Nigeria says, “A stubborn fly follows the corpse into the grave.” This mirrors what the Holy Spirit is saying in today’s memory verse. Unfortunately, there are many people who behave like the proverbial stubborn fly; one example is Pharaoh in today’s Bible reading. After experiencing the power of God through the ten plagues, he still stubbornly decided to chase after the Israelites. Amazingly, he did not learn from the consequences of his stubborn attitude, which had cost him and all other Egyptians their firstborns (Exodus 12:29-30), he also witnessed an event that had never happened before- the parting of the Red Sea. This should have cautioned him against continuing on the path of destruction he was on. However, like the stubborn fly that followed the corpse into the grave, Pharaoh and his hosts went after the children of Israel and they got buried in the belly of the sea. Another sad example of the stubborn fly is Haman, who was after Mordecai’s life (Esther 3-4). Even after his wife and closest friends warned him against going after a man who carried the Abrahamic covenant, he did not listen to them, until he died on the same gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 6:10-13, Esther 7:8-10).

Beloved, you need to examine your relationship with God today to see if you are like the stubborn fly. Self-examination is a vital tool recommended by the Holy Spirit to prevent us from being buried with the dead corpse of sin and the world. He said in 2 Corinthians 13:5:

“ Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Have you left your first love, like Demas, and still adamantly refusing to change in spite of the warnings of the Holy Spirit through His ministers and teachers of His word (2 Timothy 4:10)? The Lord is saying to you today in Revelation 2:5:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

May the Lord give us hearing ears in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:
Examine yourself to see where you are becoming lukewarm; repent and ask for the fire of the Holy Spirit to rekindle the love of God in your heart in such areas.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 8-10
Hosea 13-14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

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

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:13

READ: Matthew 25:1-13
1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

MESSAGE

The midnight cry in today’s Bible reading is a shout proclaiming the commencement of an important event, just like the announcement of the arrival of the bride and the groom at a wedding reception by the Master of Ceremonies (MC). At such a time, you will observe different kinds of people. There are those who will not hear what the MC announced at all because they are lost in their own world, either chatting with friends or fiddling with their phones. Some will be so busy running up and down to attend to other matters that they will totally ignore the MC’s announcement. Some other will actually hear the MC’s announcement but will stubbornly sit down instead of standing to honor the bride and the groom. These different reactions to the bride and groom’s arrival depict what will happen when our Lord returns as a groom to take His bride home. It is therefore important that we quickly examine our level of preparedness for this event and make necessary adjustments where necessary:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Thessalonians 4:16-17

From this scripture we understand that the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, and according to today’s Bible reading, this event will occur at a time symbolized by the characteristics of midnight, when most people are fast asleep with little or no expectation of His return. Speaking of what will happen prior to His return, the Lord said in Matthew 25:5:

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”

I believe this is the reason why the coming of the Lord will be with a shout, in order to wake everyone up. I also perceive an ongoing revival that is gaining momentum, which will serve as a wake-up call for sensitive believers.

At the Lord’s coming, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The question is, are you dead to the flesh, to sin and to worldliness? Paul testified that he was crucified with Christ; what about you? Are you crucified with Christ indeed, or are you conforming to the dictates of the world (Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:24; Romans 12:2)? Only those who are dead to this world of sin will hear the midnight cry. Those who have died in Christ have a new type of life in Him. Only those who possess this life and remain faithful to the cross of Jesus Christ will be qualified to meet the Lord at His coming. May you be ready to meet the Lord when the midnight cry rings out in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, separate me from all distractions blocking my view of Your return, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 4-7
Hosea 12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: HOLD THE FORTH.

1. Ho, my comrades, see the signal, waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.
o Refrain:
“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 ones around us falling, courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving! Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s Name we 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:

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29

READ: Matthew 11:1-11
And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

MESSAGE

In our walk with God, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are mere mortals saved and empowered by grace. Those who arrogate the power and capabilities of God to themselves end up being disappointed when faced with the reality of their own limitations and inadequacies. Such people find it hard to forgive themselves when they make mistakes, and this is s dangerous place to be in. those who remain down after falling from grace are, more often than not, those who can’t forgive themselves for the errors they made. We must always remember that we need Jesus as our all in all. He Himself said that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). As we go through life, things will happen that might shake our faith, but what is important is that our faith remains unmoved, some of those who have gone ahead of us also had their faith shaken, but it is because they remained unmoved that we celebrate them as heroes of faith today. One of such persons was John the Baptist.

In today’s memory verse, John the Baptist confidently announced the arrival of the Lamb of God, the Messiah, who would take away the sins of humanity; this bringing and end to four hundred years of silence in the prophetic realm in Israel. He clearly knew who he was and what he was talking about. Many of those who heard his declarations about Jesus Christ believed him and followed Jesus, including some of his own disciples (John 1:35-42). However, in today’s Bible reading, we see a sobering turn of events in his life. This same John the Baptist was asking if Jesus was the Messiah! Prior to this, he had been cast into prison and faced the risk of being executed. While in prison, he heard of the mighty works Jesus was doing, which pointed to the fact that He was the long-awaited deliverer of Israel. He therefore expected that Jesus would use His Messianic authority to free him, more so as he was His forerunner. However, for reasons best known to Him, Jesus did not do this, His kingdom not being of this world (John 18:36). Discouraged and perplexed, John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus whether He really was the Messiah, for Israel’s Savior would surely not have allowed him remain incarcerated for speaking the truth! John’s faith in Jesus was indeed badly shaken. Nevertheless, knowing what it is to be human, Jesus did not rebuke John; rather, He answered his question in a way John would understand as a prophet. This steadied his faith to the very end, even as he was beheaded. Is your faith in Christ being shaken? I pray that God will uphold you as you go through that trial of faith today, in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please uphold me with your right hand of righteousness, and let the trial of my faith produce praise, honor and glory in me at the appearing of my Lord.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 1-3
Hosea 11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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

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

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

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