MEMORISE: Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

READ: 1 Peter 5:8 -10

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

MESSAGE

God is holy and He has commanded all His children to be holy (1 Peter 1:16) by distancing themselves from sin through the help of the Holy Spirit. Today’s memory verse is saying, in essence, that the moment you start sniffing at things you should not eat, you are already halfway into dangerous territory. For example, a brother shouldn’t be going alone on visitation to the house of an unmarried lady – this is a step towards sin. By the time he would be coming out of that place, anyone could later accuse him of fornication and it would be his word against theirs.

Sin usually starts like a harmless thing, but that is why the Bible says that the devil is wily – a trickster (Ephesians 6:11); if you yield to it because it seems harmless, you are already falling into his trap. May you not fall for the tricks of the devil, in Jesus’ name. Like our Bible reading for today admonishes, you must be sober and vigilant at all times if you don’t want to fall for the wiles of the devil.

I have always cautioned my children not to employ someone of the opposite sex as a Secretary or Personal Assistant. Doing so would put you close to the devil’s abattoir and if you don’t retrace your steps, the devil would butcher your soul. You would be working closely with this person – many times alone and sometimes even late into the night. You may say l am not modern, but l became born again in 1973 and l am still standing up to now. It is better to be ‘old-school’ and remain standing than to be modern and then fall. Be honest with yourself: you know those things that you are already toying with which can lead you into sin – for instance, the kind of movies you watch, the websites you visit, the social media accounts you follow, the conversations you have.

As you stay far from things that will lead to sin, you must also move close to the things of God. You must never joke with your quiet time. That is the time that you spend alone with God every day. Spend that time studying the Bible and praying. You must never forsake fellowship with the brethren. Every day, draw closer to God; flee evil and you will discover that living holy is easier than you think.

PRAYER POINT

Almighty God, please grant unto me today strength I need to stay away from sin and move closer and closer to You, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless 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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:
“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.” – (Luke 6:38)

READ: 1 KINGS 17:8-16 (KJV)

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

MESSAGE:

My God is not a man that He should owe anyone; He is not a bank that ‘keeps’ your money but depletes it with charges. When you give God one thing, you can get a thousand in return. I am a living testimony of this. I surrendered my Ph.D., thriving career in academics and ambition to become the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa to Him; in return, He raised me so high that many Vice Chancellors call me ‘Daddy’. Whatever you surrender to God comes back to you in many folds.

The woman in the Bible reading for today surrendered her last meal to the prophet of God. That one meal became enough to feed three people for the rest of the famine. The boy in John 6:9-11 surrendered his lunch; five loaves of bread and two fishes. These were multiplied to the extent that twelve baskets of fragments were gathered afterwards. There is nothing you surrender to God that He does not multiply and return to you – absolutely nothing.

Many a time, God has something big He wants to give to you, but could ask you to surrender something dear to you first. If you go ahead and surrender that thing, then you would get what He had already planned to give you, which is usually much bigger and better than what you gave Him. God wanted to bless Abraham the more, so He asked the man to sacrifice his son to Him. God didn’t need the boy; my Daddy does not eat children. He just wanted Abraham to surrender totally to Him so as to open the door of blessings to himself irreversibly. Abraham passed the test and today, in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 22:16-18).

Don’t short-change yourself. Don’t hold on to crumbs, letting go of great treasures in the process. If He specifically asked for that thing, you can be sure that He has something greater in mind to give you in return. You can either reject His offer or accept it – it all depends on your willingness to surrender all to Him.

KEY POINT:
Whatever you surrender to God comes back to you in many folds.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: NUMBERS 5-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 21 – STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

REFRAIN:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

READ: Matthew 16:24 -27

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

MESSAGE

Everyone who surrenders all to Jesus will enjoy many great blessings. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t know this, often choosing to do their own will rather than submitting completely to God. Beloved, don’t be mad be ‘one leg in and one leg out’. Don’t be lukewarm.

How do you know if you have totally surrendered to God? Check your decision making process. Do you involve God in the decision on what to do per time? Apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless l live; yet not l, but Christ liveth in me: and the live which l now live in the flesh l,live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

When you are totally surrendered to,God, you would de living to do His good pleasure (Phillipians 2:13). Have you really surrendered to God?

The interesting thing is that start out in total surrender to God, but as He begins to,prosper them, that surrender diminishes. When they were living in a small apartment, it was easy to surrender their home for use as House Fellowship, but when God rewarded them with a mansion in a highbrow estate, they would claim that the security measures in their community would make that difficult.

The higher you go, the greater should be your surrender to God.

There was a brother in the Church many years ago who never missed a service, but then one day, a man of God came to preach and prophesied to him that he would soon become a millionaire”. Within six months, this brother’s life had changed dramatically. Before long, he stopped coming to Church, claiming that he had become so,busy as his business had expanded. One day, l heard he had a stroke so l sent for him. When he arrived, he explained that he had the stroke upon learning that a contract had been withdrawn from him at the stage when he would be paid. If only he had totally surrendered to the Lord who blessed him! May you surrender totally to God as He blesses you, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please grant me the grace to totally surrender my life to You, in the name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 3-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith,

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow’r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I yet may know

Ere Thee face to face I see;

There are heights of joy that I yet may reach

Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalm 42:5

READ: Psalms 42:3 -5

3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

MESSAGE

Beloved, I have one simple message for you today: Don’t write yourself off. In our memory verse for today, David told his soul to hope in the Lord and know that he would still praise God for His help. Any time you feel despair, any time you feel there is no hope, tell yourself, “No, I am not going to end like this; one day, I too will testify of the help of God in my life”.

Many years ago, when my wife and I just got married and things were tough, I would tell her,”Don’t worry, things won’t go on like this; our tomorrow will be all right” and indeed, God has been faithful. I am saying to you reading this devotional today: your tomorrow will be alright in the name of Jesus.

Not long before Sarah had Isaac, she had written herself off. The Almighty God said she would have a son and she laughed because she considered it impossible as she was ninety years old already. No matter how long you may have been waiting for that miracle, don’t write yourself off. My God is a master at reversing the irreversible; He will show up for you, in Jesus’ name.

In Luke 5:1-11 the Lord Jesus Christ Himself promised Simon Peter that he would no longer catch fish, but men. Three and a half years later, at a time that it appeared Jesus needed him the most, Peter denied the Lord and then wept bitterly because he saw himself as a failure. He was supposed to be catching men for Jesus but rather, he was denying ever knowing Him (Luke 22:55-62). After Jesus died and nothing seemed to be happening, Peter decided to go back to fishing John 21:3). May you never backslide, in Jesus’ name.

By verse 4 of John 21, Jesus had shown up for Peter. This time Jesus said Peter would not only catch men, but also feed them. The first sermon Peter preached after that brought 3,000 souls into the kingdom of God (Acts 2:41). In Acts 3:1-8, he made a lame man walk in the name of this same Jesus who he had earlier denied. By Acts 5:14-16, his shadow had started healing the sick. No matter how many times you may have denied or disappointed Jesus, as long as you are truly repentant, God can restore and use you as mightily as He did Peter; all you have to do is repent and never go back into sin.

KEY POINT

It is not over for you yet; God is still coming to reverse the irreversible for your sake.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Number 1-2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

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

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

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

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

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling? Job 7:1

READ: Hebrews 9:27 -28

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

MESSAGE

Death is a very powerful enemy. It is so powerful that 1 Corinthians 15:26 says that death is the last enemy to be destroyed. That tells you that it is so strong that it would be kept to the very last. One of the reasons death is so powerful and feared by many is because it is a leveller; it levels everyone. The rich, poor, mighty, Kings, servants, beggars and everyone else is levelled by death. Psalm 49:10 says:

For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Death is no respecter of academic qualifications or achievements when it comes knocking; it listen to no argument. Even Lazarus who Jesus raised after 4 days still died again. Whether you like it or not, except you are around when Jesus returns to rapture his followers, death will come knocking one day. In both cases however, the result is the same – you will find yourself face to face with God at His judgement seat.

What really makes death so fearsome is that it is permanent. In our Bible reading for today, verse 27 tells us that the moment a person dies, he faces judgement – there are no second chances, no opportunity to try again; it is permanent. That is why l wonder what people are thinking when they say they want to postpone their salvation or start living holy at a certain time. Many have said that in the past and died before the time they had planned to start living holy. They are in hell today regretting it now and for eternity.

You must ensure that you are ready for death whenever it comes knocking. Those who are ready will find themselves in paradise when death comes, but for the rest, they will be weeping and gnashing their teeth for eternity (Luke 13:27-28). Stop telling lies, stop doctoring figures so as to keep some money for yourself, stop committing fornication, stop sinning! When death comes, all these things will not matter anymore; at that point, all that will matter is if your name is written in the book of life. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ today and commit to following Him to the end. That is the only way to overcome spiritual death and inherit eternal life

REFLECTION

If Jesus returns or calls you home today, where would you spend eternity – in heaven or the lake of fire.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 24-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE

1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay

3 Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

READ: Luke 16:13

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

MESSAGE

In our Bible reading for today, Jesus Christ made it clear that you either love God or mammon; it is not possible to love the two at the same time.Loving God one hundred percent takes care of the second commandment which says, ‘Love your neighbours as yourself’ because in John 4:20, the Bible says, “lf a man say, l love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

If you love Jesus, God will love you specially in return and He will dwell with you (John 14:23). Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Irrespective of whatever may be happening; it will end up for your good, because according to Romans 8:37, you will be more than a conqueror. If you fight without God, you are bound to lose. If you fight and ask for God’s support, you’ll win but may have some scars. If God does the fighting for you, He will win on your behalf and hand over the victory to you. That is what makes you more than a conqueror.

John 15:14 says, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever l command you”. Obey God’s commandments if you truly love Him. You can also show that you love Him by giving. In I Kings 3:3-4, the Bible says that Solomon loved the Lord and thus sacrificed unto Him.

An evangelist went to Ghana when it was still called the Gold Coast. He met a woman who was so poor that she had only one dress that she wore every day. She gave her life to Christ one day, she dropped a gold coin into the offering basket. The evangelist asked, “Looking at you, l’m suspecting you stole this gold coin from your master”. The woman said “No, l didn’t steal; l sold myself as a slave and this is the payment made to me. That is a great demonstration of truly loving God.

Do you truly love God?

KEY POINT

The proof of your love for God lies in your obedience to His word and commitment to Kingdom projects.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 19-21

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 31: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1 Wonderful story of love!
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love!
Wake the immortal strain.
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, O won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love!

Refrain:

Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful story, Wonderful story of love!

2 Wonderful story of love!
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love!
Still he doth call today.
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation;
Wonderful story of love!

3 Wonderful story of love!
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love!
For all the pure and blest;
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus;
Wonderful story of love!

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

READ: Proverbs 6:23 -28

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

MESSAGE

Building healthy relationships and getting close to people – especially fellow believers is good. All relationships, however, must be clearly defined and never allowed to become a source or platform for sin. For example, the Pastor can know the name of a sister in the Church and the department she works in – that is an expected level of intimacy. Her friend in that department can know her house, parents, place of work, likes and dislikes – that is another level of intimacy. However, due to a higher level of intimacy between spouses, her husband is expected to know more about her than anyone else.

There is a level of intimacy that a brother should never have with a sister he is not married to and vice versa. When you notice that you are getting so close to someone that you can hardly go one hour without thinking about that fellow, you need to cut that relationship. When you notice that if a colleague who is a member of the opposite sex does not come to the office, you are not yourself that day, there is fire on the mountain that must be addressed immediately before it destroys you.

Many people have fallen into adultery and fornication because they had a seemingly harmless relationship with a “friend”. Any friend who knows you more than your spouse could easily become a home breaker. Any friend you feel more comfortable talking with than you do talking to your spouse is a potential enemy. No one should know you better than your spouse. If someone of the opposite sex is trying to know you more intimately than they should, be firm about letting them know their limit.

A man does not need to know where any woman he is not married to shops for her underwear – that information is not for his ears. Any woman who is not a man’s wife doesn’t need to know what particularly excites him-that information is for his better half only.

My people in Nigeria say that when a handshake is beginning to get to the elbow, it’s time to pull back.

KEY POINT

Set boundaries for every relationship you are involved in. Don’t get intimate with the wrong fellow, thereby finding yourself in hell.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 14-15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need Thee ev’ry hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.

Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Ev’ry hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee ev’ry hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r

When Thou art nigh. [Refrain]

3 I need Thee ev’ry hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need Thee ev’ry hour,

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfill. [Refrain]

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Ezekiel 14:3

READ: Numbers 22:12 -22

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.

20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

MESSAGE

Many a time we have plan, we present it to God and He says, “No way”. We then say, “l know how to twist God’s hand”. We begin to fast, pray, seek His face and then finally, we come round and say, “Lord, what about that plan?” He could then say, “Go ahead”. You had better not go anywhere. As children of God, it is our duty to obey Him promptly and completely at all times.

In our Bible reading for today, a king asked Prophet Balaam to curse lsrael. Balaam asked God and He said “No”. The king then sent some other people to tell Balaam that he would promote and enriched him if he would curse Israel. Balaam then decided to check back with God and the Lord said, “Okay, if you want to go”. On the way, God sent an angel to block his way. It was Balaam’s donkey that saw the angel; the Prophet, blinded by greed, couldn’t even see what a donkey could. Whenever you are so interested in something that you manage to ‘twist God’s hand’ to permit you to have it, you would be blinded by it and may run into serious trouble because of your inability to see clearly and objectively. If you do a little research to trace the history of Balaam, you would see that he ended up dying by the sword.

One area where Christians often pursue God’s permissive will is in marriage and many of them have regretted it afterwards. The fact that God allow Hagar to give birth when Abraham went in unto her while Sarah was considered barren does not mean that the latter was the one through whom God’s covenant with Abraham would come to pass (Genesis 17:21).

It doesn’t matter how good the permissive will look, you better go for God’s express will. Sister, that young man you like may be more financially secure than the one God says you should choose; don’t be fooled by today, God knows tomorrow, and He is instructing you based on that knowledge.

Ask the Lord to reveal His express will to you, because if you ‘twist His arm’ so you can have things your way, the end may be bitter.

KEY POINT

Don’t go to God insisting on your own plan; He may permit it , but you may regret it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4 Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we’ll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. Zechariah 13:7

READ: 2 Corinthians 1:11 -14

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

MESSAGE

Pastors are.considered popular when they have many people following them as they follow Jesus Christ. These followers can be called the pastors’ sheep. The devil understands the principle in our memory verse for today, so these popular pastors are usually major targets for him. He knows that if he can get them to fall and even spoil their reputation, their sheep will scatter and he can begin to feast on them. This is why, instead of joining people to criticise popular Pastors, you should be praying for them. If you don’t support what they are doing and you do not have direct access to them, talk to their employer (God) about it, rather than joining the devil to pull them down.

In 2 Samuel 11:3-4, when David sent for Bathsheba to have an illicit affair with her, she consented because he was the king. There was a huge gap between the king and her husband who was an ordinary soldier. It may surprise you to know that there are some women who consider it a privilege to have illicit affairs with Bishops, General Overseers, Apostles, Senior Pastors and so on. Yes, it is a sin, but the devil has blinded their hearts so much that they now see it as prestigious. That is why you need to pray for them. Don’t assume that they don’t need your prayers. In fact, the more their influence, the more prayers they need.

You should also pray for popular Pastors because every now and then, they step into dangerous territories to preach the gospel. Some of them travel through dangerous roads and go to volatile regions to share the gospel of Christ. Some of them also have to relate with the high and mighty in the society, so they need boldness to tell the truth without compromise.

With the boldness and wisdom needed to draw the high and mighty closer to God, imagine the impact it would have on their leadership and spheres of influence. Believe me honestly, when you pray for them, you are praying for the Body of Christ at large and God will bless you for it.

ACTION POINT

Commit to praying daily and diligently for pastors from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 5-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

that calls me from a world of care,

and bids me at my Father’s throne

make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

my soul has often found relief,

and oft escaped the tempter’s snare

by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

the joys I feel, the bliss I share

of those whose anxious spirits burn

with strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

where God my Savior shows his face,

and gladly take my station there,

and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

thy wings shall my petition bear

to him whose truth and faithfulness

engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since he bids me seek his face,

believe his word, and trust his grace,

I’ll cast on him my every care,

and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

United Methodist Hymnal, 1989

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:
“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” – (2 Corinthians 2:11)

READ: 2 Samuel 11:1-27 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

20 And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

MESSAGE:

Many Christians think they can fall and rise as they like. I have always said that injuries can heal, but the scars will remain. You may commit a sin and God forgives you, but the consequence of that sin may live with you for the rest of your life and even outlive you. Just one mistake can cause serious problems for even your children yet unborn. In Genesis 16:2, Sarah arranged for Abraham to have an affair with her maid and today, the world is paying for that single mistake.

In Genesis 25:29-34, Esau made a single mistake. He despised his birthright just once and by the time we get to Genesis 27:30-40, the Bible says he came in just as his brother was stepping out after collecting the blessing. He begged for a remnant blessing and his father assured him that he would prosper, living by the sword, but that he would serve his brother. This happened because of just one mistake.

In (2 Samuel 11), David made a mistake which gave birth to several others. The mistake was that he was relaxing at a time when kings typically went to war. He then saw what he wouldn’t ordinarily have seen – a beautiful lady taking her bath. You should ask, “Why was David looking into another man’s compound?” If you give the devil an inch, he wouldn’t just take a mile, but rather, he’ll go for your eternity. Before long, the lady was in his bed. She got pregnant and to hide it, he had her husband killed. God sent a prophet to tell David that the sword would never depart from his home. Even today, the sword has not departed from Israel. It all started with one single mistake of relaxing when he should have been at war.

Some Christians think it is harmless to be sleeping when they should be praying. Before they wake the next day, the devil would have sown tares in their field and they would begin to struggle. The unfortunate thing is that they think the struggle is normal and continue in it rather than get up and pray when they should.

Beloved, do not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy who is going round seeking who to devour (1 Peter 5:8). All he needs is one mistake. Do not give it to him.

KEY POINT:
If you give the devil an inch, he wouldn’t just take a mile, but rather, he’ll go for your eternity.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 23 – TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
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,
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,
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,
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,
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,
ever, only, all for thee.

Please follow and like us:

20