MEMORISE:

READ: Mark 4:35 -41

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE

In our Bible reading, Jesus’ disciples woke Him up and He stilled the storm. Have you imagined what would have happened had He not been in the boat? Life is full of storms, and except God helps you, such storms can drown you.

No matter how smart you are, there is one storm you cannot escape: the storm of death. Don’t be deceived, death will make anyone who isn’t in Christ fearful. David could say, “Though l walk through the valley of the shadow of death, l will fear no evil for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4) because he was on the Lord’s side. If the Lord is not with you in your boat and the storm comes, who will you call upon?

Storms can come suddenly, without notice. Once while on a plane to London, there was a particular man who had a golden walking stick. From time to time, he would get up and show off his golden walking stick as he walked to and from the bathroom. Suddenly, the captain announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a little problem as we currently cannot land the plane”. The man with the golden walking stick now really needed to go to the bathroom; but as he stood up to go, the hostess asked him to remain seated. Obviously terrified, he refused to remain in his seat and for a moment I too was afraid. I then said to my Daddy, “But Lord, You didn’t tell me this is the end”. He responded saying, “No it’s not the end. I want to talk to you, and l know that as soon as you land you will be kept busy, but we need to talk”. As soon as l hears His voice, His peace came to me. After the Lord finished talking to me, the plane landed without any problem. Had l not already been His child that day, l would not have had any right to call upon Him in the storm and l would have terrified like just any other person.

If He is not in your boat, there would be nobody to call upon for deliverance in the midst of a storm. It is only when you have Him in your boat that you would be able to say, “Christ in me the hope of glory” (Colossians,1:27).

REFLECTION

Is Jesus in your life?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE: Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: Proverbs 3:9

READ: 1 Kings 17:7 -16

7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

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

One of the things l have discover about God in my little walk with Him is that He wants to be your priority at all times. He said in Matthew 6:33 that you should seek His kingdom and righteousness first. In Psalm 10:4, the Bivle describes those who do not seek God and have Him in their thoughts as proud. In Deuteronomy 26:2, God said that your very first harvest should be given to Him. He wants to be your number one or nothing at all to you. In fact, one of His names is ‘Jealous’ (Exodus 34:14).

Now, when God sees that you always put Him first and you have honoured Him, then He will begin to work out a befitting reward for you. In Proverbs 3:9-10, the Bible says: “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:: “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” In our Bible reading for today, Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to prepare his meal first before making that of herself and her son. Some other women would have said “Popher, did you not hear that there is only one meal left to prepare for me and my son”. Instead of saying that, she honoured God in the life of the Prophet in that difficult situation and in return, she never lacked food again.  While the entire nation was starving, she had food in abundance. That is what happens when you put God first.

I was in Ilesha, holding a crusade many years ago when my Professor took my PhD thesis to the external examiner. Normally they post it, but he bought a ticket and took it. If you ask all those who got their PhDs back then, they will tell you that it usually takes months  for external examiners to invite PhD candidates for an oral examination. While l was busy in Ilesha doing the will of God, my Professor took my thesis to the external examiner and said, “l am not going back until you read this”. After the external examiner read it, he said”Go and give the boy his PhD”. If you do the will of God first, He will take care of all your needs. When you honour Him and put Him first in all you do, what you will get in return will be a multiplication of what you sacrificed for Him.

KEY POINT

Always put God first.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zephaniah 1-3

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.

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MEMORISE: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. Job 22:28

READ: 2 Corinthians 10:3 -6

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

MESSAGE

Following the discussion we began yesterday, it is not only witches, wizards and witch doctors who can try to hinder a person destiny; sickness can also.

Many people remain sick because they are tolerating sickness. You must rebuke sickness in your body. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge “. Now that you know the truth, you can tell sickness, How dare you attack me, a child of the Original Physician? My Daddy says in Exodus 15:26 that He is the Lord that healeth me, so I am healed in Jesus’ name.

When you know who you are in Christ, it affects how you behave. If you are the son of a messenger, you would talk differently from the child of the President. Your Father is not just the President – He is the President of all presidents in the whole world (Psalm 24:7-10). He is the One about whom Philippians 2:9-11 says that, at His name, every knee bows. It is unfortunate that many Christians have the name but don’t use it. You must rebuke demons. Tell them, “How dare you fool around with me. I am the child of Lord of hosts”. If you do that, you will get every demon out of your household today. The Bible made it clear that if you are truly a child of the living God, you shouldn’t even fail. Philippians 4:13 says you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.

You can rebuke the devil Himself. James 4:7 says if you submit yourself to God, you will resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you know who you really are in Christ, your confidence shows in how you pray. For example, if someone is in the bathroom and you knock at the door, the way the fellow inside answer would tell you whether it is messenger in the house or the landlord that is there. While they could both say the same thing, the confidence level in their respective voices would differ.

You must speak to the devil as someone who knows that you have the greater One inside of you (John 4:4) and he will flee from you.

PRAYER POINT

I decree today: Sickness, demons and every other agents of the devil, take your dirty hands away from my life, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 5-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 25: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS HERE

1 The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Sweetest note in seraph song;
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!

2 Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
The veil ’twixt you and God is riven,
Redemption wrought by Jesus.

3 All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s name,
I love the name of Jesus.

4 His name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The precious name of Jesus!

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MEMORISE: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Deuteronomy 33:27

READ: 1 Samuel 2:6 -9

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

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

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

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

MESSAGE

God’s arms are everlasting (Deuteronomy 33:27), so when He begins to lift you, no one can bring you down. When human beings promote you, they never want to put you on the same level as themselves. In Genesis 39:1-5, Potiphar promoted Joseph and put him in charge of everything in his house, but he was still a slave.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1 Samuel 18:4

Jonathan gave David many gifts because he loved him but did not give him shoes. In those days, no matter how much you give a man, you can collect these things back if you don’t give him your shoes (Ruth 4:7-8). Also, servants never wore shoes. Thus, Jonathan was telling him, “I love you greatly, but don’t forget that l am a prince and you are an ordinary citizen in this kingdom.”

Another thing you can learn from the story of Joseph is that if human beings promote you, they can also bring you down. It is the same Potiphar who made Joseph the head of all his slaves who later threw him in prison. Those shouting ‘Hosanna’ today may shout ‘Crucify him’ tomorrow. When God decided to promote Joseph, He brought him to a level so high that even  Potiphar – his former slave master, had to bow before him. The Most High will promote you and very soon, all those who have been oppressing you will bow before you, in Jesus’ name.

The Almighty God took David – who was a shepherd boy, made him a king and kept on promoting him until he became the father of the King of kings (Revelation 22:16). This is a classic example of God lifting a fellow with His everlasting arms.

Do you know that if God decides to promote you, even after you are dead, the promotion continues? God however, will not lift the proud in His everlasting arms. You must surrender your life totally to Jesus and humble yourself before Him if you want Him  to promote you (1 Peter 5:6).

KEY POINT

Be humble so that God can promote you with His everlasting arms.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Obadiah 1

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 striving 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

‘Til 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.

3 There in the ground His body lay

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

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Could ever pluck me from His hand,

‘Til He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I stand.

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MEMORISE: 1 Samuel 2:30
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

READ: Isaiah 38:1-8

Isaiah 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

Isaiah 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

Isaiah 38:3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

Isaiah 38:4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

Isaiah 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Isaiah 38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

MESSAGE

Today, I want to introduce you to the other side of the Most High, You already know from previous discussions that He can overrule anybody, but did you know He can also overrule Himself? In Isaiah 38:1-8, the Most High sent His Prophet to King Hezekiah to tell him that he was about to die. Hezekiah prayed to God to give him some more time on earth, and the Most High granted him 15 more years. The Prophet must have wondered, “But Lord, forever O Lord, Your word is settled” (Psalm 119:89), and God must have responded, “I am the One who said it. I am the One reversing it.” That is an example of God overruling Himself to answer a man’s prayers. He can also overrule Himself to punish a man.
When you read 1 Samuel 2:30, you see Him overruling Himself to punish Eli. This is where we need to be very careful.

In 1 Samuel 9:15-17, He chose Saul, who was the least in the least of the tribes in Israel, to be king. However, Saul became arrogant and God decided to reject him. At the end of the day, God sent a tormenting spirit to him and then made sure that he and his sons died on the same day. I am sure that if Saul knew that he would end up that way, he would never have disobeyed God.

The Most High is a wonderful friend to have. When He is on your side, He can overrule anybody or anything that is against you, but He is a very dangerous enemy.
If He was once your friend and becomes your enemy, you are in trouble. This is why I want to appeal to you again to surrender your life to Him. The Most High is not someone you toy with. He is not someone you can cheat or deceive, He knows all things. He knows those who pretend to belong to Him but are still doing the will of the devil. Before He changes His mind, I beg you to surrender to Him and let Him be your friend for life. If you claim that He is your Lord, serve Him in total surrender. Serve Him with all your heart and in sincerity. Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, and the result will be beautiful. If however, you think you can play games with Him, He will show you that He is a Consuming Fire.

KEY POINT

If you are wise, you would never want to be in the bad book of the Most High, you would live holy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 5-9

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 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.

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MEMORISE: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Lamentations 3:37

READ: Psalms 9:2-9

2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

MESSAGE

The Most High can overrule curses. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, the Bible tells us that there had been a curse hanging over Jericho since the time of Joshua, but the Lord, working through Elisha, cancelled it.

God can overrule covenants. Isaiah 28:13 says that even if you have made any covenant that is not according to His will, once He overrules it, it will not stand. If there is any covenant between you and the devil, it is cancelled now, in Jesus’ name. Many years ago, a woman came to deliver her baby at our maternity centre in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Apparently, because she had been barren for many years, she had uttered a statement saying she didn’t mind dying, as long as she gave birth first. Now, she had gotten pregnant and didn’t want to die during childbirth, so she came to the Church’s maternity centre to deliver the baby. After being in labour for some days, the midwives informed me, so I called on the Most High to overrule that evil covenant she had made. He overruled it and a short while later, she gave birth safely.

The Most High overrules blood covenants too (Isaiah 49:24-26), so even if you have been initiated into a cult by blood covenant, the Lord will cancel it now, in Jesus’ name.

The Most High can even overrule hell. He can tell hell: “You cannot have this fellow”. Paul said in (1 Timothy 1:15) that he was originally the chief of sinners, but then he had an encounter with Jesus Christ and instead became a chief amongst the Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5). I have always said, “If the Almighty God can use me, He can use anybody”. If He could take me from the path to hell and put me on my way to heaven, then whatever claim hell has over you is overruled right now, in Jesus’ name. You must note however, that you have a role to play in ensuring that hell’s claim over you is completely overruled. If the Most High decides to snatch you from the path to hell but you go back into sin, then you will be back on that destructive path. It is your duty to respond to God’s gracious act of love by living holy so you do not end up in hell.

PRAYER POINT

Father, if there is any covenant I or my fathers entered into that is affecting my life today, please overrule it now, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE: But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Psalms 115:3

READ: Psalms 135:3 -13

3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

MESSAGE

In Psalm 33:10-11, the Bible says that God brings the counsel of the heathen to naught but His own counsel stands forever. Thus, it doesn’t matter what your enemies have decided concerning you; He will cancel their counsel and replace them with His, in Jesus’ name.

The Most High can overrule doctors. In Mark 2:1-12 the man brought in through the roof could not be healed – medically speaking, but he walked out healed when he came into the presence of the Most High. We are indeed privileged to serve a God who can overrule medical reports.

The Most High can also overrule death. In John 11:39-44, the Bible tells us that by the time Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, not only had Lazarus been dead for days, his corpse must also have already been stinking. His relatives believed it was too late but the Most High spoke – completely overruling death and calling Lazarus back to life. Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He never addressed death. When He was going to raise the daughter of Jairus, He didn’t use the word death at all; He said, “Little girl, arise”, and death had to let go.

The Most High can overrule demons. Isaiah 49:24-26 shows that when the Most High decides to set free, He will feed those who say you cannot be free with their own flesh and cause them to drink their own blood. I once preached at a wedding in my village and when l saw that witches were also in attendance. I used that opportunity to,praise the Most High God before them while condemning the kingdom of darkness. After the wedding, they met the bride’s mother and said, “This boy insulted us at your daughter’s wedding; let us see if she will put to bed safely”. The mother ran to me and I told her not to worry. The bride got pregnant, and gave birth safely in spite of all the evil the witches planned because the Most High had overruled them. The Most High is saying to you now that every activity of demons in your life is overruled, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Most High God, please overrule every evil report or decision concerning me and my loved ones, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joel 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation;
Join the great throng,
Psaltery, organ, and song,
Sounding in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, over all things he gloriously reigneth:
Borne as on eagle-wings, safely his saints he sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen,
How all thou needest hath been,
Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath breath join with Abraham’s seed to adore Him!
Let the Amen
Sum all our praises again,
Now as we worship before Him.

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MEMORISE: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

READ: Romans 6:18 -23

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

MESSAGE

Many people are in the miry clay of life. A miry clay is a situation so terrible, you cannot get out of it by yourself; you need external help to get you out of it. When Doctor tells someone that they have done their best and there is nothing more they can do to make the fellow feel better, he knows that at that point, except God comes to his aid, he is finished. Thankfully, l have a God who specializes in lifting people out of the miry clay and placing their feet on the rock to stand firm (Psalm 40:2).

What do you do for the Almighty God to pull you out of the miry clay? The first thing is to realise that it is sin that brought you into the miry clay in the first instance. When the paralysed man was brought to Jesus in Mark 2:1-12, the first thing the Lord said to him was, “Your sins be forgiven you”.The word of God is clear: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sickness is an agent of death. You must repent and forsake your sins before you can come out of the miry clay. The Lord told the man at the pool of Bethesda, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). If you don’t get rid of sin in your life, you may never get out of that miry clay. David said in Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” How can you be expecting an answer from God when He cannot even hear your prayers at all?

I was invited to Tunisia about 11 years ago to speak at the World Prayer Conference and I said, “Brethren, I have come to submit to you that God answers all prayers”. Some deep theologians called me aside and said that it is not true. Don’t let anybody deceive you, God answers prayers. He said, “Call on me and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3). He didn’t say, “I may answer you”. The only variable there is, He can only answer the prayers He hears. If He doesn’t hear, how will there be an answer? Isaiah 59:1-2 says clearly that it is our sins that prevent God from hearing us.

If you are still obeying God half-heartedly, change your ways. It is in your best interest to do so.

KEY POINT

Sin blocks you from the life of God and gives you death as an inheritance. Stay away from sin.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 5-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN

1. What can wash away my stain?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

REFRAIN:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2. For my pardon this I see;
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

3. Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus:
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

4. This is all my hope and peace:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus:
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

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MEMORISE: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matthew 7:18

READ: Galatians 5:22 -25

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

MESSAGE

As we continue with our lessons on the works of grace, we will study a manifestation of the Holy Spirit in believers called ‘the fruit of the Holy Spirit’. If a Christian has gifts of the Holy Spirit but does not have the fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in our Bible reading of today, such a person is headed for destruction. An example of this is when a believer becomes proud because God performs miracles through him or her. Matthew 7:22-23 says: ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will l profess unto them, l never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”. They had the gifts of prophecy and working of miracles, but God didn’t even know them. That is because though the gift was present in their lives, the fruit was absent. This is why you must never be satisfied with just having the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The fruit is more important than the gift, so you must ensure that you experience this important work of grace.

According to Galatians 5:22:23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith meekness and temperance. While you may already be working miracles, God is asking you to move higher. You may be performing miracles, yet are difficult to live with, you might get the gifts and still end up in hell. What will it profit you if you are a powerful evangelist but get left behind when the rapture takes place? Of what use is your anointing if you will end up in the same place as the devil? Anointing is good and l love it, but l don’t want to be anointed and then become a candidate of hell; God forbid. Jesus Christ said if you want to know those who will go to heaven, look out for the fruit of the Holy Spirit in them, not the gifts.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:20-21)

Don’t be deceived by the anointing of God already at work in your live. If you don’t manifest the fruit of the Spirit, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please let me begin to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit from today, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 4-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

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

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

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

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

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

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MEMORISE: 1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

MESSAGE

Having the Holy Spirit does not mean that you have arrived – not at all. He gave you the Holy Spirit for a reason and that is to witness according to Acts 1:8. A witness is someone who tells others about what they have seen or heard. When God asks you to witness, He is saying you should tell people about the things you have heard and seen about Him. To really prove that what you are telling them is true, He gives you, gifts of the Spirit. This is the work of grace that comes after the Holy Ghost baptism.

There are basically nine gifts of the Spirit, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and they can be grouped into three. One group is called the revelation gifts. The revelation gifts consist of the Word of Wisdom, Word of knowledge and Discerning of Spirits. When you hear someone say something about you that he or she could not possibly have known except God told him or her, that is the Word of knowledge. For example, while l am preaching many times, God tells me things about people in the congregation and l announce it starting with “There is someone here …”. Despite not knowing these people, what l announce is usually the exact situation of the people involved – that is the Word of knowledge at work. God knows all things and from time to time reveals them to those whom He has given this gift to. It is a powerful gift of the Holy Spirit.

There is another group of gifts called the Power Gifts – the Gift of Faith, the Gift of Healing and the Gift of the Working of Miracles. Then of course there are three others called the Vocal Gifts – these are the Gifts of Prophecy, diverse kinds of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues. The Almighty God can give you any of these 9 gifts after you are baptised in the Holy Spirit and have started working for Him. Interestingly, 1 Corinthians 12:31 says: “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew l unto you a more excellent way.”

The only place in the Bible where you are allowed to be covetous is when it comes to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After my Holy Spirit baptism, l asked God for all the gifts and He answered me. I give Him glory and honour that when you ask Him, He is more than willing to give.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please give me all the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Daniel 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1. Take my life and let it
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moment and my days
Let them flow 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

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

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

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

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

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