MEMORISE:
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Luke 24:36

READ: Luke 24:13-36

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

MESSAGE
Surprises come in different sizes and categories. Some surprises fall within our day to day activities, like receiving visitors you least expect. These are aptly described as surprise visits, and an example of this is Mary’s visit to cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-44). There are pleasant surprises, such as when Abraham and Sarah were told at a very old age that their child of promise was about to come (Genesis 18:9-14). This announcement was so great and seemingly impossible that Sarah laughed in disbelief; yet, it was a pleasant surprise when God gave her the son He had promised (Genesis 21:6-7). There are also unpleasant surprises, such as when you are betrayed by someone very close to you, like Absalom did to David, his loving father (2 Samuel 15:6-14).

The disciples of Jesus Christ experienced pleasant surprises at a time when they thought all hope was lost for them. This is evident from the encounter two of them had on the road to Emmaus. As they journeyed, they spent their time lamenting their shattered hope about Jesus. In Luke 24:21 they said:

“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.”

Meanwhile, a great and pleasant surprise had taken place in Jerusalem where they were coming from, which they could not believe. Though they had been told of Christ resurrection before they embarked on the trip to Emmaus, they were still full of unbelief. The story seemed too good to be true! This is one of the characteristics of pleasant surprises occasioned by miracles. When the early visitors to the tomb of Jesus Christ were greeted with the news of His resurrection, they experienced this type of pleasant surprise. Matthew 28:8 captures their emotions in these words:

“And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”

As if that was not enough, those who took the news of the resurrection to the others had not finished speaking when the Master Himself appeared to them all to confirm the news (Luke 24:36)! In the same way, there is no adjective to qualify the type of surprise that result from the miracle of a baby being born by a woman without a womb. It is indeed pleasant to experience the impossible becoming possible in one’s life. Your pleasant surprises are coming your way this season in Jesus’ Name. All you need to do is to identify with the Great Miracle Worker, and He will work things out that will give you pleasant surprises in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, do a new thing that will bring pleasant surprises to my life today in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Thessalonians 1-4

Jeremiah 7:8-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

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.

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MEMORISE:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

READ: 1 John 3:7-10

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

MESSAGE

We live in times when most people are ruled by their senses. Therefore, for us to effectively reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message of the gospel must be manifested for them to see. In other words, we must live out the message as delivered to us by the Lord and His early apostles. The most effective way to win this generation is to demonstrate the power of God practically for them to see, hear and touch. No wonder Apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:1&3:

“ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; ….That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

The God of heaven must confirm our claims that we belong to Him and that we are His ambassadors on earth, both in holiness and prosperity, just as He testified to the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ by speaking from heaven and demonstrating His power through Him (Matthew 3:17). What the father did for Jesus, He can do for us, because as the Father has loved Him, so does He love us (John 15:9).

When a person becomes born again, he or she takes on the divine nature of God that does not accommodate sin. In other words, a born again person is now triumphant over sin, and sin has no compelling power over him or her. 1 John 3:9 says:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his”

If this is true, how come we hear about some Christians being caught in terrible sins that even some unbelievers naturally abhor? The reason is simple: even though God has transformed your spirit to have the capacity to sin no more, you still have the right of freewill which God gave to man in the beginning. Just like Adam misused his freewill, a child of God can misuse his freewill and walk voluntarily into sin. However, the truth remains that when a man is born again, he becomes a new creature; old things have passed away and the fellow begins to live an acceptable and godly life that is practically impossible for those who have not tasted God’s gift of salvation. From that time onward, the seed of God that is in that fellow begins to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit that would not allow the works of the flesh to manifest in such a life (Galatians 5:19-25). When we begin to live by the pattern that Jesus placed before us, the world will realize that we have something that they do not have, and they will come seeking to learn from us about Jesus that has made a difference in our lives.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, rant me the grace to live the life that will make the world see Jesus in me.

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.

Refrained

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MEMORISE:

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

READ: Matthew 26:37-41

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

MESSAGE

Journeying through this world as a Christian in this end times without the help of the Holy Spirit is such an impossible task. Unfortunately, many Christian lack knowledge of the important roles He pays in ensuring that we make it to heaven. Some do not even believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One cannot run the Christian race without having a relationship with God in the place of prayer. The question is, how much prayer is needed to enable us successfully reach the finish line of our heavenly race? From today’s memory verse, the answer is that we ought to pray without ceasing! How is this possible? We do not have the capacity to pray for long periods, nor do we even know how to pray as we ought, so how do we pray without ceasing? Well, it is possible only with the help of our tireless ally, the Holy Spirit. Revealing this truth, Romans 8:26 says:

“ Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

With the realization that the Holy Spirit is needed to make our journey to heaven successful, if I were you, I would desire to have Him on my side at all times. Moreover, you need to be conscious of the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person and not a force. He therefore has emotions! Some things make Him happy, while some things can grieve Him (Isaiah 63:7-14). When He is grieved, He withdraws Himself. For this reason, Ephesians 4:30says:

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

The Holy spirit is grieved when we live contrary to the life and principles of Jesus Christ, who made Him His representative in us till he returns (John 13:14).

Today, as the Lord said to peter in Matthew 26:41, He also says to you:

“ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Without the Holy spirit, you cannot watch and pray effectively, leaving you prone to be overcome by temptations in the face of adversities. God forbid that you fall away from the faith in Jesus’ Name. The antidote to this is effective prayer aided by the Holy spirit. Today, if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to spend some time praying in the Spirit. If you have not partaken of this experience, I encourage you to tarry in God’s presence today and ask the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. You can also seek the help of a true and trusted member of the Body of Christ to lead you into this free gift of God.

PRAYER POINT:

Holy Spirit Divine, fill me afresh today and strengthen my prayer life like never before

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:

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. Proverb 11:25

READ: Psalm 41:1-3

1Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

MESSAGE

The power have always had a special place in God’s heart, and for this reason, you will observe that caring for them is a high priority obligation for those who walk with Him. Abraham was so addicted to caring for the poor that he organized a feast for total strangers who were just passing by (Genesis 18:2-5). When God was giving the Mosaic Law, He ensured that His people recognized the poor in their society, and He required them to make special provisions for them (Leviticus 19:9-10). When the Lord Jesus Christ came to demonstrate the nature and character of God to us, He showed compassion to the poor and preached the gospel to them (Mark 8:2, Luke 7:22). Having learnt from Him, the early disciples also made provisions for the poor (Romans 15:26). Caring for the poor is therefore a cardinal aspect of our faith as Christians (Galatians 2:20).

In today’s Bible reading, the blessedness of giving to the poor is revealed to us. One of the blessings associated with this good deed is that as you remember to cater for the poor, you are unknowingly ministering deliverance to yourself. Psalm 41:1 says that the Lord will deliver those who consider the poor in the time of trouble, He means all kinds of trouble: be it financial, physical, spiritual, marital or career-wise. When the widow of Zarephath considered giving her last meal to the hungry prophet, little did she know that she was ministering deliverance from starvation to herself and her household (1 Kings 17:9-14). The Lord will also preserve and keep alive those who remember the poor. In other words, if you are praying for long life, a sure path to receiving this is by giving to the poor. God will grant you long life so that the poor who depend on you will consistently have something to live on through you.

Additionally, those who remember the poor will be blessed upon the earth. In other words, the Lord will make material provisions available for them to the point of overflow. As a matter of fact, if you are a farmer, you will reap a bumper harvest with which you can carry out the divine assignment of feeding the poor, because you cannot give what you do not have. As a business person or contractor, you will not lack contracts, and your turnover shall be divinely influenced. It is one thing to make money, and it is another thing to spend the money on good things. Many people spend a large proportion of their income on sickness, so much so that those with less income are far better off. To those who remember the poor, the Lord has given a great promise to visit and strengthen them whenever they are sick (Psalm 41:3). Imagine what will happen when the Great Healer comes visiting you when you are sick and He makes your bed for you. This is nothing but free healing on a platter of gold. What a heart-warming promise of God this is! I therefore encourage you to remember the poor around you today and consistently put a smile on the face of the destitute.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, as I show love and care to the poor, please bless me according to Your promises.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 4-6

Jeremiah 5:18-6:5

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:
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1Timothy 1:15

READ: 1 John 1:7-10

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

MESSAGE

Some people make defeatist statements about sin in order to justify their sinful lifestyle. Such people admit that everyone born of a woman is a sinner, but they hypocritically ignore the fact that has made provision available to turn every sinner into a saint by the power of atonement in the Blood of Jesus. One of the foremost apostles of Jesus Christ, Paul, in today’s memory verse affirms that a sinner can become a saint if he or she is willing to be transformed. The unwillingness of a sinner to be transformed into a saint through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ is what condemns him or her to eternal damnation. John 3:18-19 says:

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

God is not interested in condemning anyone, and this is why He says to all in Isaiah 1:18-19:

“ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:”

Jesus is still calling all those who labor and are heavy laden under the yoke of sin to come to him for rest (Matthew 11:28). When anyone comes to Jesus with a repentant heart and cry for mercy, He will abundantly pardon their sins (Isaiah 55:7). It is therefore important for people to take responsibility for their sins in order to receive pardon. Many people shift the blame for their sinful lifestyle to everything but themselves. Instead of acknowledging and confessing their sins and deciding to abandon the sinful act that have held them bound or so long, they keep making excuses. For example, some thieves and harlots will blame their sinful lifestyle on the economic recession in their country. If you have been wallowing in sin and passing the blame, I invite you today to come to Jesus Christ for pardon and experience a pleasant turnaround. In prayer, acknowledge and confess all your sins, asking Jesus to cleanse you with His Blood and to receive you into His family. Also, promise Him never to go back to your old lifestyle again. If you do this, Christ will cleanse you and transform you into a new creature in him as He promised in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

ACTION POINT:

Share the good news in today’s devotional with those in your neighborhood and with those within your sphere of influence on social media.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 1-3

Jeremiah 5:1-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS FOR THE CLEANSING POWER?

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Refrain

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white!
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for His presence bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Refrain

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Refrains

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MEMORISE:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

READ: Isaiah 55:9-13

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

MESSAGE

Though Isaiah 55:11 we understand that the word of God has purpose, direction and the capacity to prosper. I pray that the Almighty will send His word to you today for the purpose of settling all that concerns you in Jesus’ name. Since the word of God has the capacity to prosper, it can therefore activate prosperity in the life of anyone it is working for. Unquestionably, the word of God is very powerful. In fact, God’s power is inherent in His word. To understand the power in God’s word, Hebrews 11:3 makes us to understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. The Holy Spirit also says in Hebrews 4:12:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Through this scripture, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that God’s word has the power to effect change in the spirit, soul and body of man.

However, in spite of the power that God’s word possesses, its capacity to activate prosperity does not work in the life of everyone. For this capacity to be activated, a person must first embrace and revere the word of God. You embrace God’s word by believing what it says, and you revere it when you obey what it commands and live by its principles. Unfortunately, many children of God who believe His word and desire to prosper are not prosperous because they refuse to revere the word. For example, the Word-made-flesh said in Luke 6:38:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Only those who believe this word and act on it will prosper by the power embedded in it. It is not the hearers but the doers of God’s word that are justified (Romans 2:13). Prosperity will stay with them and overtake the mall the days of their lives. Here is what the Holy Spirit says in James 1:25 concerning those who revere the word of God by obeying its commands and living by its principles:

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

I pray that you will begin to prosper by the world of God from today in Jesus Name.

KEY POINT:

You embrace the word of God by believing what it says, while you revere it by obeying what it commands and living by its principles.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

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.

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MEMORISE:

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25

READ: Psalm 23:1-6

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

MESSAGE

There is a clear-cut difference between fasting and starving, just as there is between trekking and strolling. For instance, it is good if one chooses to stroll in order to keep fit, but it is undesirable to have to trek for lack of better means of transportation. One day, as I was taking my usual prayer-walk, one of my children drove by and offered to give me a lift in his car. I told him I was strolling and not trekking. In the same way, while it is good to fast, it is no one’s wish to starve as a result of poverty or famine. My prayer for you today is that if you ever go hungry, it will be because you are undertaking an enjoyable spiritual exercise of your own choosing. In order words, you will not fast compulsorily or because you lack what to eat irrespective of your current situation, this will come true because God’s word has declared it in today’s memory verse. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental truth in this scripture that you must embrace if you want to engage in faith and not self-deceit. The declaration in that verse only applies to the righteous. Are you righteous, and are you living a righteous life?

The promise of God is not just that we will be fed, but that we will be fed even in the time of famine. He said in Psalm 37:19:

“They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”

Today’s Bible reading further reveals to us how to make this promise a reality in our lives. The secret is to choose the Lord as our Shepherd. When the Lord is your Shepherd, you will have all that you need. There are lots of things the Good Shepherd does for His sheep, and first of these is that He leads them to green pastures and to still, untroubled waters. He also restores or reinvigorates their souls when they are tired. To sustain these benefits, the Good Shepherd also leads His sheep on the path of righteousness that only He knows, because sin destroys relationships (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Some people only engage in emergency fasting. In other words, they only fast when they are in trouble. More often than not, such troubles are the result of them engaging in their own lust (James 1:3-15) to worsen the situation, their emergency fast is not accompanied with repentance. Such people are just out to use God, and they are starving and not fasting. A godly and acceptable fast produces results that bring comfort, restoration and revitalization to the body, soul and spirit, like it did in Nineveh (Jonah 3:6-10). Our Lord Jesus Christ recommended fasting as a means for us to experience the supernatural (Matthew 17:21). From today, I encourage you to begin to engage in fasts that are acceptable in the sight of God.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, grant me the grace to fast voluntarily as a spiritual duty in seeking  Your face in worship and supplication. Never allow me to starve in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Galatians 1-3

Jeremiah 3:24-4:18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

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.

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MEMORISE:
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 2 Peter 1:14

READ: 2 Timothy 4:5-8

5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

MESSAGE

As we journey through this would as pilgrims, there is the tendency for us to get too comfortable with our temporal earthly dwelling and forget the permanent home in heaven that God is taking us to. For some children of God, after being blessed on all sides here on earth, they forget to prepare for the heavenly mansions that the Lord has gone to prepare them (John 14:1-3). This is the reason why the Holy Spirit says to us in Deuteronomy 6:10-12:

EUROPE ARISE 2019-Minister Pastor E.A ADEBOYE

“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”

One of the children in the Lord once shared his own experience in this regard. He said he was thinking about the horrible situation in the world today and how world governments are failing their people. He then began to think of the divine intervention that could make things work so that people can be comfortable all the days of their lives. He imagined how pleasant the world would be if roads were fixed, power supply was uninterrupted, and hospitals were adequately staffed with qualified medical personnel having the medications needed to combat diseases, especially in developed countries like his. He also imagined education be coming free at all levels and so on and so forth. While he fantasized, the Holy Spirit suddenly interrupted his thoughts and asked him that if all he had been fantasizing about happened to be true, how many people would appreciate the heavenly mansions that Jesus Christ had gone to prepare for the elect? I believe many children of God would be satisfied with what they had here on earth and would not bother to get prepared for heaven at all!

The question is, how prepared are you for heaven? In today’s memory verse and Bible text, we see two Christian who were prepared to go home: Peter declared his preparedness when he said he had fought a good fight and had finished his course- the essence of his time on earth. Yes, there is a fight to fight because there is a crown to win. As part of our preparedness, we must ensure that we are not entangled with the affairs of this world (1 John 2:15-17, 2 Timothy 2:4-7). Beloved, I charged you to always be prepared.

ACTION POINT:
Are you so overwhelmed by the cares of life that you have forgotten God? Do you have cues around you that remind you of heaven? Examine your level of preparedness for heaven today.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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EUROPE ARISE 2019–Minister Pastor E.A ADEBOYE and other men of God

MEMORISE:

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land? Psalm 137:3-4

READ: Judges 16:23-30

23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

MESSAGE

A careful study of the Bible will reveal to you that it is possible for someone that God has librated from all forms of bondage to return into the captivity of the enemy. Sin is the number one instrument the enemy uses to recapture his targets (Romans 6:16). After the children of Israel were set free from oppression in Egypt, they return into captivity in Babylon because they refused to obey God’s commandments, leading to the sad narrative of today’s memory verse. In captivity, the enemy tormented them by requiring them to sing their sacred songs. Every mockery of the enemy comes to an end in your life comes to an end tonight in Jesus’ Name. Samson was another child of God ridiculed by the enemy because he dabbled into sin. After putting out his two eyes, the enemy mocked him and put him on display in the temple of Dagon, the God of the Philistines. They turned the great Samson into a pitiable object of sport and forced him to entertain them with the power he had once used to attack them. Sadly, he died with the enemy in the temple of Dagon.

Just like Samson, some people play with sin, believing that they will have the opportunity to repent, engage in long term fasting and prayer and bounce back on their spiritual feet. Such people should learn from Samson and abandon the assumption this assumption. Judges 16:20 says this of Samson:

“And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

If you live a life that toys with sin every now and then with the hope of always bouncing back, may I announce to you that there is a journey you may take into sin you may undertake that would be your last. This is the reason why the Bible says we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). There are things people do that are equivalent to singing the sacred song in Satan’s temple. As God’s peculiar people, we must rid the Church of strange practices that conform to the way the world does its things (1 Peter 2:9). We cannot afford to destroy uniqueness in the name of making the gospel appealing to the world. With this in mind, we must beware of singing satanic songs on God’s altar in our bid to win the world. If because we want to catch monkeys we begin to behave like monkeys, we will only end up multiplying the number of monkeys, and the souls we are trying to win to Christ will never partake of the image of God that we have. A word is enough for the wise.

KEY POINT:

Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces (Matthew 7:6 NIV).

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 feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

3. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

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MEMORISE:

A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Proverbs 18:16

READ: Genesis 30:14-18

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

MESSAGE

The Almighty in His wisdom designed the world in such a way that every person has an area of comparative advantage in life. However, it takes wisdom for an individual to make the best legitimate use of his or her comparative advantage to prosper in this world. This is why the Bible says wisdom is the principal thing (Proverb 4:7), the Bible further says in Proverbs 14:1:

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”

Leah, the first wife of Jacob, was someone who used what she had wisely in order to succeed in the hostile marriage she found herself in. we can therefore learn a lot from her. Whether by accident or the design of her father, Leah married an unwilling Jacob. However, the Lord in His sovereignty made her very fruitful in the area of child-bearing, and this made up for what she lacked in her husband’s eyes. Being a wise woman, she used this blessing of fruitfulness to her advantage in opposition to Rachel, her sister-turned-rival, who unlike her was attractive and her husband’s favorites. Without this, Rachel would have totally dominated Leah in Jacob’s home.

Leah managed to keep her matrimonial home through wisdom. Unfortunately, many Christian sisters foolishly throw away their marriages to home-breakers and other third parties because they fail to apply wisdom and self-control. Their coldness makes them so detached from their husbands that they end up becoming strangers to one another. Leah was wise and possessed the fruit of longsuffering, which she used to her advantage at every given opportunity to draw her husband closer to herself.

Moreover, take note of what Leah said in Genesis 30:15a:

“And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband?”

In spite of Jacob’s animosity towards her, she believed she was Jacob’s lawful wife, and it paid off for her down the line. Even though her husband did not reciprocate her love, she focused on her home, and she successfully produced more than half of the twelve tribes of Israel, including the priesthood tribe of Levi and the royal tribe of Judah. Today, some Church leaders dissolve marriages with impunity, using social and psychological models to justify their claims against biblical injunctions. This should not be so. What is that challenge facing your marriage? Take it to the Lord today in prayer, asking Him for wisdom to handle it, and you will laugh last. You have the strength not only to cope but also to overcome! Go ahead and use it, and God will give you respite in your home.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, send your peace to all homes that are in disarray in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOME

1. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

2. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

3. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

4. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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