MEMORISE:
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

READ: Acts 4:15-20

15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

MESSAGE
One of the most important responsibilities of leaders is to make the people they lead happy by providing an enabling environment for peace and prosperity. A leader who listens to the yearnings and aspirations of his people and tries to provide solutions to their problems is usually loved, while any leader who fails to satisfy the common interest of the people, even for the best reasons, is generally condemned. Therefore, leaders at every level of human endeavor have perfected the art of pleasing the people they lead in order to continually earn their approval and to keep enjoying the power, wealth and influence made available by their office. However, the Bible admonishes Christians in general and those in position of authority in particular to reject the temptation of becoming pleasers of men. 1 Thessalonian 2:4 says:

“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

We see from this scripture that God expects all Christians to view every opportunity to influence others as a divine responsibility that has a divine purpose. Therefore, we are to do all thing to the glory of God with the consciousness that we owe our allegiance to Him and not to any human being. For this reason, the Holy Spirit says in 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.”

Pleasing people involves making every effort to do whatever they want in order to win their approval, even when such actions are contrary to God’s commandments. Pleasing people requires eye service, insecurity, self-centeredness and godliness. Men pleasers have an insatiable appetite for money and power, and they can mortgage the future of the people they lead to achieve their selfish ambitions. Anyone who is obsessed with pleasing people will unconsciously begin to work against god’s purpose until he or she becomes an enemy of God. Paul came to this conclusion in Galatians 1:10, saying:
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

Arron, King Saul and Herod are examples of leaders who were committed to pleasing people in order to win their approval, without much consideration for the will and commandments of God (Exodus 32, 1 Samuel 15, Acts 12:20-22). Unfortunately, they all got punished for their evil actions. I pray that every tendency to be a people-pleasers will be completely removed from your life today in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let my focus be centered to pleasing You in all things in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 17-18
Ezekiel 27:1-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

• I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

• The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

• Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though- none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

• My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

• Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

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MEMORISE:
His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. John 2:5

READ: John 2:1-11

1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

MESSAGE

Miracles are simply God’s supernatural interventions in the natural word, which suspends the laws of nature. God performs miracles to show His sovereignty over His created world in other words, through miracles, He shows that none of His creations can stand in his way whenever He decided to do anything. For example, contrary to the laws of nature. Sarah got pregnant and had a child after she had passed the age of child bearing (Genesis 21:1-8). Unfortunately, many people who desire miracles are not ready to fulfil the requirements that bring about their manifestation, and so their desire remains a mirage. How do we unlock the door to the miraculous? The topic of today’s devotional gives insights into this. Firstly, we must live a life that is pleasing to God if we want His supernatural interventions in our lives, and we please God when we live by faith. The Bible categorically says in Hebrews 11:6a:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him:”

The word “faith” has a deeper meaning than many people imagine. For example, it is a lack of faith in the One who placed them in the Garden of Eden and told them what to eat and what not to eat. They doubted God’s integrity and believed the lie of the devil, thereby falling straight into sin. Due to the presence of sin, God’s supernatural intervention, which hitherto made things happen easily for them, departed from their lives. Beloved, Jesus says to you today, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

Another key which unlocks the miraculous is obedience to the word of God. As a matter of fact, disobedience is the by-product of having no faith. When a person lacks faith in God, the tendency is for the fellow to disobey God with impunity. You can hardly obey the fellow you do not have faith in. It is therefore ironic that the miracle-working God is being disobeyed by those seeking His miracles. From experience, Jesus’ mother knew the link between obedience and walking in the miraculous, and so she said in John 2:5b:

“Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

When the servants did what Jesus Christ instructed them to do, they experienced the miraculous. Other examples abound in the Bible which show the connection between obedience and miracles on the other. The story of Naaman is another good example in this regard (2 Kings 5:1-14). Beloved, if you desire to open the door t the miraculous in your life, have faith in the God of miracles and obey Him completely.

ACTION POINT:

Exercise your faith in God today to obtain your desired miracle from Him

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 12-14
Ezekiel 25:8-26:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: TRUST AND OBEY.

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.

o Refrain:
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 or a fear, not a sigh or 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 or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed 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 favor He shows, for 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:
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17

READ: Acts 27:21-24

21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

MESSAGE

Some information is deemed classified meaning that it is top-secret. The Almighty God has a lot of such information at His disposal. Thankfully, He releases classified information to His elect from time to time. As seen in today’s memory verse, Abraham was one who had access to such information to such information. Are you one of God’s favorites? Are you qualified to receive Heaven’s classified information? There are prerequisites that must be met before anyone can have access to heaven’s secrets. Speaking on this, the Bible says in Psalm 25:14:

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”

So, the fear of God is one of the criteria for accessing God’s classified information. When we look into the lives of those who enjoyed this rare privilege, we will see that they feared God. For example, Joseph was given access to classified information because he feared the Lord. It was this fear that prevented him from sleeping with his mater’s wife (Exodus 20:14).

Another prerequisite is the ability to guard a secret into your heart without divulging it. I believe one reason why Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was chosen and given classified information about the Messiah that would come through her was that she knew how to keep secrets. From the time the angel of the Lord appeared to her announcing the immaculate conception to the time the angels announced the arrival of the arrival of the Holy Child, many secret things were revealed to her, and the Bible says in Luke 2:19:

“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

Beloved, you can be one who receives God’s classified information if only you can refrain from being a talebearer and revealer of secrets. God has the prerogative of revealing secrets and showing unknown things to His prophets, according to Daniel 2:22 which says:

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

Paul is another example of someone who had access to God’s classified information in today’s Bible reading, while all the crew and passengers of the ship he was travelling in were in great turmoil, he had peace because he knew what would happen. Paul had credit in his account with God, and so he was privilege to know God’s mind concerning his voyage. Beloved, you can also qualify to have access to heaven’s secrets if only you can pay the price.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, as Your child, let there be a clear difference between me and those who don’t know You. Please don’t let me operate in the dark on things concerning my life and family, in Jesus Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 10-11
Ezekiel 24:15-25:7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

• Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
• Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1 Corinthians 3:3

READ: Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

MESSAGE

The topic of today’s devotional is not a piece of advice but an express command from the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:6 reveals that it is a dangerous thing to remain carnal after experiencing the new birth, which is why the Holy Spirit is speaking to us on it today. unfortunately, many carnal Christians either don’t know their carnal state or refuse to admit it. For this reason, Paul had to directly inform the brethren at Corinth that they were carnal (1 Corinthians 33:3). How do we know a carnal Christian? There are many signs which indicate a Christian is still carnal, and today’s memory verse mentions some, one of which is envy. Envy opens the door to strife, and when strife is fully grown, it brings about divisions and schisms in the Body of Christ. Even fornication was found there!

In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Christians who are carnal are declared to be babes who need to grow into maturity. For this reason, the Holy Spirit encourages us in today’s Bible reading to grow in Christians virtues by meditating on things that are truthful, honest, just, pure and lovely. We are also called to live a praiseworthy life of good report. How do we attain all these virtues? It is through purposeful training in discipleship. Christian virtues do not come automatically; they are learnt. This is made clear through Paul’s words in Philippians 4:9, saying:

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ is still calling believers to come and learn of Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Growing in faith requires conscious and concerned efforts in learning God’s ways in order to know His mind on all things. Philippians 3:10-11 says:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

Beloved, please give heed to the Holy Spirit’s admonition in 2 Peter 3:18a, which says:

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

By doing this, you will become a heaven-bound Christian who is mature and not carnal.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to grow to maturity in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 9
Ezekiel 23:46-24:14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

• Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
• Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
2 Corinthians 3:2

READ: Acts 4:13-16

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

MESSAGE
Who is an ambassador? An ambassador is simply an official who lives in a foreign country as the representative of his or her own country. Two things are striking in this definition. The first is that an ambassador in an official and a representative of his or her country’s government. In order words, there is a relationship between the ambassador and the country he or she represents. Secondly, an ambassador lives in a foreign country. From these points, it is obvious that Christ’s ambassadors must have a relationship with Him. There are many people today who claim to be representatives of Jesus Christ. Concerning such people, Jesus says in Luke 13:26-27:
“ Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

Furthermore, Christ ambassadors must see themselves as strangers living in a foreign land called earth. Unless you live your life as a pilgrim with temporary stay on earth, you cannot be Christ’s ambassador indeed. Learn from those who have gone ahead of us, of whom Hebrews 11:13 says:

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

The early apostles are great examples of how to live our lives as Christ’s ambassadors. Although most of the were ignorant and illiterate men, they were also something else, which supersede every other thing: they were clones of the Lord Jesus Christ, reflecting the life and principles. He brought from heaven. It is therefore not surprising that they did the same feats the Lord did while in the flesh- thus fulfilling the prophecy Jesus made that we would do the works He did, and even greater works than He did (John 14:12). Even the Jewish leaders who persecuted the disciples admitted that they resembled their Master.

Beloved, to be Christ’s ambassador indeed requires learning of Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Are you ready to learn of Him? Do you see yourself as Christ’s ambassador in all that you do? The disciples of old lived their lives as Christ’s ambassadors and did not regret it. In fact, Jesus promised them a hundredfold return on their commitment, and this promise is yours also (Mark 10:29-30).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, grant me grace to live my life as Your worthy ambassador in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 7-8
Ezekiel 23:28-45

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. Proverbs 28:8

READ: Proverbs 11:1-4

1A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.

2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

MESSAGE

Today, the Spirit of the Lord is warning us to beware of excessive profiteering in business. This is something people do in order to enrich themselves with worldly materials and possessions procured through huge profits. God says it is an act of wickedness when we unduly profit from essential goods and services. You may not know the pain you are inflicting by doing unless God opens your eyes to see that some who need the goods or services for survival are suffering because they cannot afford to pay what you are charging them. People who do this either do not know or have forgotten the words of wisdom in Proverbs 13:11, which says:

“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”

It is even worse when some rich employers of labor deny their workers their due wages, all in a bid to live large on what does not belong to them. It is equivalent to slavery when people work for you and you either don’t pay them or you tactically delay their payday. If you are involved in this, the Holy Spirit says to you in James 5:3-4:

“Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”

A close look at the misfortune of those practicing such wickedness will make any wise person to heed God’s warning in this scripture. Those who loot the public treasury in order to leave something behind for their children have proved themselves foolish in this regard. Even in their lifetime, their children begin to mismanage their ill-gotten properties. We have heard stories of laborer’s children buying the properties of their fathers’ masters after the Lord of Sabaoth caused wealth to change hands. Only the riches gotten through just means can stand the test of time. No wonder Proverbs 22:22-23 says:

“Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.”

Beloved, remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and be wise: He warned us that the value of a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things he has (Luke 12:15). May the Lord grant you the great gain that comes from godly commitment in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, grant me grace to live my life as Your worthy ambassador in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 7-8
Ezekiel 23:28-45

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU.

1.While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

Refrain

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain

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MEMORISE:

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:36

READ: John 8:31-36

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

MESSAGE

There are two very important characteristics of a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ which we shall be reflecting on today. The first of these is knowledge of the truth. The Truth is no other person than the Lord Jesus Christ. He declared Himself to be The Truth in John 14:6, saying:

“………I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

He further declared that the word of God in truth, thereby indicating that He is the Word of God (John 17:17), John 1:1-12). By implication, whoever rejects the word of God rejects Jesus Christ, and whoever rejects Jesus Christ rejects the Truth. Through this principle, we know those who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. Real disciples of Christ accept the infallible word of God as the truth, which no accent or modern philosophy can change. Speaking on the constancy of God’s word, the Lord said in Luke 21:33:

“ Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

He further declared in John 6:63b:

“the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

True disciples of Jesus Christ are known by their lifestyles which reflect God’s word. Today, many who call themselves disciples of Jesus Christ pick and choose which of Jesus’ Words they would live by. Some even say that if Jesus had to live in our time, He would reverse many of His teachings! What a lie from the pit of hell! If you want to finish your Christian race in heaven, beware of such people, because they will try to mislead you. Into believing their falsehood.

A second characteristic of genuine disciples of Jesus Christ is that they are free from the bondage of the devil. When I come across some so-called disciples of the Lord complaining of one form of demonic oppression or the other, I often wonder. Jesus Christ said we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. Why then are some disciples not free? They are either ignorant of the truth concerning who they really are, or they are not genuine disciples of the Lord in the first place (Hosea 4:6). Beloved, I counsel you to re-examine your position as a disciple of Christ and find out if there is any missing link between you and the Master, subjecting you to any form of bondage. If this is the case, quickly do something about it today. Freedom from every form of oppression is your inheritance in Christ. Claim it now!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I lay hold of the freedom that Christ has purchased for me, and I claim total liberty from every form of devilish oppression in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 3-4
Ezekiel 22:23-23:10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

• Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
• Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:32

READ: Acts 5:1-11

1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

MESSAGE

Today, we will be reflecting on an area of compromise in the Body of Christ which the Lord wants us to repent of. This has to do with partaking in other men’s sin, whether by supporting, celebrating or turning a blind eye to their misdeeds. The reason why The Redeemed Christian Church of God is perceived by some to be rigid on certain matters is because we are conscious of the possibility of being an accomplice to heresies. We prefer to give God the benefit of the doubt rather than take things for granted- after all, it is safer to be overly obedient than to fall prey to sin.

Today’s memory verse is strong food for thought for the Body of Christ. Through it, we understand that God’s wrath is revealed from heaven not only against those who commit acts that He hates, but also against those who have pleasure in in those that do them. Some pastors would say, “what is my business if a man divorces his wife and marries another woman? It is their problem, not mine.” However, such pastors are not just witnesses but accomplices to joining of two spiritually incompatible partners through marriage, thereby approving of those who have gone against the Lord’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. May you not be partaker of sins you did not directly commit in Jesus’ Name.

In times past, we were taught that it was not enough to abstain from alcohol; we were also expected not to serve it to others to drink. Habakkuk 2:15 says:

“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!”

This was how my old friend knew that a change had occurred in me after I gave my life to Christ. When I started serving them soft drinks instead of whisky and champagne, they thought I had gone crazy. Another are of compromise that makes believers accomplice to sin is when they allow fraud to be perpetrated under their noses and do nothing about it. There is a Yoruba adage which says, “The one who collects the stolen cruse of oil is as guilty as the one who actually stole it from the kitchen rack.” This same principle applies to those who allow their homes to be used for immoral acts. Although some young Christians would not fornicate, they allow their unbelieving friends bring their girlfriends to commit sexual immorality in their houses. In the sight of God, they are as guilty as those committing the act. The giver of the bribe is as guilty as the taker of it. Don’t be an accomplice to corrupt practices. The Lord is watching you, and He is coming back soon.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me boldness to resist being an accomplice of evil doers, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 1-2

Ezekiel 22:6-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU.

1.While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

Refrain

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain

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

READ: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

MESSAGE

We need a deeper insight into today’s memory verse in order to understand what God is teaching us today. To put it quite simply, God is asking us to be diligent, specifically in our own business. Anyone who is inordinately diligent in someone else’s personal affair is a busybody, and such a person will reap no reward for this. When I was young, my mother was so hard on me whenever I played too much. She would order me to immediately go into the house and read my books. If I protested that I was being singled out for harsh treatment when other children were also playing, she would remind me that she was not called to mind other people’s business. I thank God that my mother diligently minded the business which the Lord committed into her hands. She would say to me, “Enoch, you are my business; I will mind you and not other people’s business.”

When a person is not mindful of what to do with his or her life, he or she wastes it. Please understand that time wasted is life wasted. The easiest way to waste a life is to not do something meaningful with that life. Paul could boldly say to the Church at Thessalonica that he and his team purposely did not live on other people’s provision. He gave his reason for this in 2 Thessalonica 3:8-9, saying:

“…….. that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.”

Paul went as far as telling the Church that any so-called brother or sister who would not work should not be allowed to eat of the shared provisions of the brethren! Beloved, the needy in our midst would be fed, but they should also be taught how to work with their hands. This has been the tradition of the Church from the very beginning (2 Thessalonica 3:6 & 10). Some people are so selective that they calm there are no job opportunities, whereas there are jobs they can do to earn a living. Their problem is that they are looking for certain “white collar jobs” which may not be available. The truth is, if you are not able to find work in your profession or chosen trade, you can try your hands at other things. Learn from Paul the lawyer who labored as a tent maker to earn a living when the churches he had planted were not strong enough to bear the cost of his missionary work (Acts 22:3, Acts 18:3). One of my sons told the story of a young lady who was feeding from the church. When he tried to get her a cleaning job at the Redemption Camp, she rejected it, saying the job was not dignifying enough. Ironically, cleaners were among those contributing to the purse where her needs were being met. May you never underrate the door of opportunity God opens to you to Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, give me the wisdom, contentment and sincerity of heart needed to mind my business, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 23-24
Ezekiel 21:24-22:5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

• There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
• Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

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

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

• 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!

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

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