MEMORISE: He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

READ: Philippians 4:8

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

MESSAGE

Things described as ‘lovely’ are very beautiful or attractive. Heaven for example, is a very lovely place; everything in heaven is extremely beautiful and attractive. Revelation 21:21 says:

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Heaven is also a place of extreme joy; there is no pain or sorrow in heaven.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 21:4

These Bible verses tell us straightaway that there is a link between thinking on lovely things and having joy. The more you think on lovely things, the more joyful you become and vice versa.

Many people are depressed today because they keep thinking of things that are not lovely despite having many beautiful things around them to think of. If you find yourself in a state of depression, then it is time to quickly switch your thinking gear to the lovely things. Think about the fact that your eyes can still see clearly enough to read the Open Heavens Devotional every morning, that you can walk, that you can dress up yourself. You may be considered a dog now, but Ecclesiastes 9:4 says that a living dog is better than a dead lion. The fact that you are still alive is a lovely thing to think about because that means there is hope for you. If you are not looking for someone to donate a kidney to you because yours is still working fine and your heart is still beating normally, all these and more are lovely things to think on.

Even if you think there is nothing lovely to think about in your past, think of the lovely future that God has promised you; that you will one day lend to nations (Deuteronomy 15:6), that you will heal the sick and raise the dead (Mark 16:17-18), that you will live a beautiful life with your children all around your table (Psalm 128:1-3).

KEY POINT

Focus on the lovely things the Lord has done or promised to do and always and always let His joy flow through you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 116-118

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: 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.

Refrain:

Oh, deeper yet, I pray,

And higher ev’ry 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! tho’ it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

4 Deeper, higher, ev’ry day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

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MEMORISE: He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Psalms 24:4

READ: Psalms 24:3-6

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

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

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

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

MESSAGE

Purity can be simply defined as being in one form with nothing else mixed in.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth”.

Revelation 3:16

God is not interested in two-timers. With God, you are either hot or cold; there is no staying in-between. Many people think it is okay to live holy and then just commit sin once in a while. God says He will spew you out of His mouth if you are lukewarm. He said He is coming back for a Church that has no spots at all, according to Ephesians 5:27 which says:

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Therefore, if you think that you can accommodate a little impurity in your heart, please think again. My Daddy wants you to be spotlessly clean, completely pure. Those who will be His bride must have no stain on their garment at all. That means every impure thought must be banished out of your mind. Your mind should only be filled with things that are pure, not things that can stain your garment of holiness. It is only those whose hearts are pure that will see God on the last day. Matthew 5:8 says:

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

When it comes to spiritual matters, if you are for God, be totally sold out to Him and if you are for the devil, be totally sold out to the devil. The lord said in Isaiah 1:18:

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.

In the spirit, you are either pure white or pure red. There is no sitting on the fence. Whichever one you wish to be is your choice, however He advises that you live holy and be white.

KEY POINT

Only think pure thought.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 110-112

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

E’en though it be a cross

That raiseth me.

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,

The sun gone down,

Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone,

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

3. There let the way appear,

Steps unto heav’n;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy giv’n;

Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts

Bright with thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

5. Or if, on joyful wing

Cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upward I fly,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee

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MEMORISE: Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17

READ: Philippians 4:8

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

MESSAGE

Many of the evils in our society today emanated from unjust thinking. If only more and more people, including all those who claim to be Christians can begin to think on just things, then the world will be a better place. To be just means to be morally right and fair, to consider the effect of your action on your neighbour before you do it. It means you don’t cheat others or try to bully them into doing what they should not.

God hates it when you are unjust, especially to people who are less privileged than you. He hates it when you treat your domestic staff like they are not human or when you take advantage of the ignorance of an uneducated fellow. He wants you to be just at all times. I remember one time l gave someone a construction job. In measuring the piece of land on which he was to build, he measured in meters instead of feet. When l noticed the mistake he was making, l decided l was not going to correct him. God then spoke to me and said l should correct him. I responded, “lf this man calls himself a professional and he does not know the difference between metres and feet, then let him do extra work and pay for extra expenses, l am not correcting him”. God kept to nudging me to act justify with the man but l refused. Another person came along and in greeting, we shook hands. His hand felt like a rock. He did not just shake my hand, he squeezed it. The pain was so much that my hand felt as if it was on fire. At last, he released my hand. I cried to God, “Lord, why did you let this happen to me” and He responded, “Why didn’t you correct the man when l told you to?” I quickly corrected him and miraculously, the pain in my hand disappeared.

John 3:16 says that God loves the whole world. He loves the rich and the poor and He wants everyone to have justice. Be just to everyone, especially those who are less privileged and cannot fight for their own justice. God is very particular about such people. Proverbs 21:13 says:

Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, he shall not be heard.

KEY POINT

Think and act justly to everyone you come in contact with.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 108-109

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: JESUS MY LORD MY GOD MY ALL

1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,

hear me, blest Savior, when I call;

hear me, and from thy dwelling place

pour down the riches of thy grace.

Refrain:

Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;

O make me love thee more and more.

2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;

how can I love thee as I ought?

And how extol thy matchless fame,

the glorious beauty of thy name?

3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me

that thou hast dealt so lovingly?

How great the joy that thou hast brought,

so far exceeding hope or thought!

4 Jesus, of thee shall be my song;

to thee my heart and soul belong;

all that I have or am is thine,

and thou, blest Savior, thou art mine.

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MEMORISE:

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

READ: Philippians 4:8

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

MESSAGE

Your mind is the seat of your soul. Whatever you think or meditate on with your mind gets into your heart and eventually determines the kind of person that you become. That is why Proverbs 23:7 says:

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…

The quality of your life is determined by what you allow to get into your heart through your mind. This is why the Bible says in Proverbs 4:23:

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

This is why it is important that you only think on the things advised in our Bible reading today. Anything that is correct in every form may be considered to be true. For example, if you see a caterpillar and you call it a butterfly, that is the truth. The fact that you don’t see its wing does not mean that it does not have any. The fact that it is crawling today does not mean that it cannot fly. It may look like a worm now, but it is far more than that. Likewise, you may look like you are poor now, but that is not the truth about you. The truth about you is that God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). It may look like you are sick now, but think on the truth in God’s word which says you have already been healed by Jesus’ stripes (l Peter 2:24).

From our memory verse for today, we see that the word of God is the truth and John 1:14 says that Jesus is the Word. This therefore means that we must always meditate on the word of God. Anything outside the word of God is a lie and you must not allow it dwell in your mind. The Truth says that you will be the head and not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13), so never believe that you are a failure. The Truth says that no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17), so never believe that anyone can harm you. Read your Holy Bible regularly so that you can know the truth, then meditate on that truth you know.

ACTION POINT

Think only on the word of God, not on the circumstances and situations around you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 104- 105

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

E’en though it be a cross

That raiseth me.

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,

The sun gone down,

Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone,

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

3. There let the way appear,

Steps unto heav’n;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy giv’n;

Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts

Bright with thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

5. Or if, on joyful wing

Cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upward I fly,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee

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MEMORISE: So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12

READ: Revelation 2:1 -7

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

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

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

MESSAGE

The Bible reading for yesterday showed us how Jesus delegated some assignments to His disciples during His earthly ministry. The Bible reading for today, shows us that Jesus is still delegating responsibilities even now that He is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This time, He is getting the reports of the Pastors first hand and giving the report of their performance so that they can improve in the work that he has given them to do.

Now, you as a leader must constantly assess who you delegated duties to and give them a report of their performance. Tell them where they are doing well and where they need to improve. Make sure you give this report in time before they go so far in doing the wrong thing to the point that all that would be left would be to suffer their consequences. In the bible reading for today, Jesus make sure that He gave the Angels of the churches a report of their performance before the consequences showed up. Whether they harkened to His report or not is another thing, but He gave them report.

As a delegate, when you don’t pay attention to the reports your superiors give you, you end up suffering the consequences. My advice for you is that you don’t even wait for them to give you a report of your performance; go to your superior and ask, “Sir, how am I performing at the duties you gave me to do?” When the fellow then tells you your performance, you must make adjustments to ensure that you do more of what the reports says you are doing well. That way, you can avoid any consequences that would have come if you did not get a report quickly enough.

Beyond getting a report on what your delegate are doing, you also need a report from them on how you are doing too. A leader must not be afraid to get reports from those that he or she is leading. You can not see and understand the effects of all your actions and words, hence you need other people to give you a report on your own performances once in a while. If Jesus could ask His disciples for feedback on how people perceived Him (Matthew 16: 13-15), you are not too big to ask for feedback from those you are leading.

ACTION POINT

As your superior both in the office and church to give you and objective report about your performance so far and also advice you on how to improve in your duties.

BIBLE ON ONE YEAR: Psalm 99- 101

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

1 Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers’ arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us,

to keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

of this world in the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,

who reign in highest heaven

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

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MEMORISE: And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. Mark 6:30

READ: Mark 6:7 -13, 30

7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;

8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.

11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

MESSAGE

Delegation is very important principle in leadership. Since the leader is only one man, he cannot achieve much except he delegates some of his duties to other people to do. I am the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God which is in over 190 nations of the world. It is absolutely impossible for me to be coordinating the activities of all the parishes in these nations directly, hence, I have to delegate to other Pastors to support me in doing the work. One mistake that many people make after delegating is to abandon the duties delegated in the hands of the ones delegated to. I have always said it that you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect. After you have delegated duties to people, you must check to be sure that they are carrying them out correctly. If you cannot check physically, then you must ensure that they bring you reports as detailed as that which the disciples gave to Jesus Christ in Mark 6:30, the Bible says they “told Him ALL things, both what they had done and what they had taught”. The report must cover every single thing that was done or said in executing the assignment given.

The Bible reading makes us understands that after every season of assignment or project, there must be a gathering where everyone gives a report of what they did. After every service, every worker ought to give a report of how the service went and what challenges they had in each department. That way, before the next service or season of assignment, every challenge would have been addressed.

Nowadays, you can get your report first hand directly on your phone. Many a time, when I am outside the country, I have called the Pastor at the Headquarters of The Redeemed Christian of God in Nigeria to say, “Well done, the sermon today was powerful”. At first, he was surprised as to how I could have heard the sermon, but what I just did was to log on the Church’s media page to watch it live. I got my report on what he was teaching the people first hand on my phone. You can also do the same if you set up a good reporting structure for the people you are leading, leveraging the technology available to us now.

KEY POINT

Delegate , but don’t abandon your duties.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 95- 98

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: HO MY COMRADES SEE THE SIGNAL

1 Ho My Comrades See The Signal Waving In The Sky Reinforcements Now Appearing Victory Is Nigh

2 Hold The Fort For I Am Coming Jesus Signals Still Wave The Answer Back To Heaven By Thy Grace We Will

3 See The Mighty Host Advancing Satan Leading On Mighty Ones Around Us Falling Courage Almost Gone

4 See The Glorious Banner Waving Hear The Trumpet Blow In Our Leader’s Name We Triumph Over Every Foe

5 Fierce And Long The Battle Rages But Our Help Is Near Onward Comes Our Great Commander Cheer My Comrades Cheer

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MEMORISE: The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Acts 1:1

READ: Matthew 23:23 -28

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

MESSAGE

From the memory verse of today, we see the pattern Jesus observed when He was on earth. He began both to do and to teach. Doing comes before teaching. You must have been doing whatever it is that you want to teach before you teach it to anybody. If you have not done it yet, you don’t have any authority to teach it. You see, teaching the word of God is not something to joke with at all. It is easy to memorize powerful sermons of notable men of God and deliver them smoothly. Your audience will most likely clap for you, but you have been marked for greater judgment in heaven if you do not practice what you are preaching.

James 3:1 says:
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

The word ‘master’ used in the Bible verse above essentially refers to ‘teachers’ as captured in the New King James version. Whether you memorised the message you are preaching to others or not, whether the people clap for you and talk about how powerful your message is or not does not matter. If you are teaching the word, your judgement will be stricter than that of others. This is why you must first be doing the word before you start teaching it.

You have no right to rebuke someone for their disobedience to God’s word when you yourself are disobedient to it (2 Corinthians 10:6).

The reason many children are disobedient to parents is that they see that their parents don’t practice what they preach. I have always said it: the major reason you see many Pastor’s children becoming wayward is that what the Pastor preaches on the altar is different from what he does at home. When you have removed the log in your eye, then you can try to remove the speck in the eye of someone else (Matthew 7:3). Practice what you preach. Do it first, then you can teach it to whoever you want to teach it to. In our Bible reading today, Jesus Christ says there would be great sorrow for those who do not practice what they preach.

KEY POINT

Practice what you preach.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 87-88

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

Hymn 14: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

3. There let the way appear,
Steps unto heav’n;
All that thou sendest me,
In mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

5. Or if, on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee

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MEMORISE: For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5

READ: 2 Corinthians 4:1 -7

1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

MESSAGE

The Bible says it expressly that in the last days, many will be deceived by false prophets (Matthew 24:11).

Deception is when you present something that is fake with some attributes of the original, or you omit or remodel some truth into something completely different while ensuring that it still look like the original. There are many Preachers today who doctor the truth to fit the message that they personally want passed without thinking about the consequences. What they don’t know is that they have been recruited by the devil to spread wrong doctrines. l Timothy 4:1 says:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,and doctrines of Devils;

If people depart from the true faith of the Lord because of your message, then you are one of those spreading the doctrine of the devil. Always tell the whole truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Don’t tell your congregation that because Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those in Christ, once they answer the altar call to surrender their lives to Jesus, they can continue committing sins and still be on their way to heaven. Add the rest of that verse to your message. The complete verse says: “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”.

I John 3:6 says:
“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

Thus the first part of Romans 8:1 means that those who will not be condemned are those who in Him don’t sin and whoever sins has not even known Him at all. Don’t lead people to hell with your fake doctrines. Don’t tell them to disregard the Old testament and only pay attention to the New Testament when Jesus Christ clearly said he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Speak the whole truth to everyone you have the opportunity to preach the gospel to.

KEY POINT

Preach the message of Christ, not that of the devil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 83-86

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: I’VE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD

1 I’ve a message from the Lord, Hallelujah!
The message unto you I’ll give.
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live.
Look to Jesus now and live.
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

2 I’ve a message full of love, Hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you.
’Tis a message from above, Hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.

3 Life is offered unto you. Hallelujah!
Eternal life your soul shall have
If you’ll only look to Him. Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus, who alone can save.
————————
Remember: ‘There Is No Problem Without Solution; Jesus Is The Solution To All Problems’.
————————

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MEMORISE: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:1 Peter 5:8

READ: Acts 20:7 -12

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

MESSAGE

Apostle Paul was preaching while a young man named Eutychus was sleeping. Our attention however is not on Paul but on Eutychus. Here was a greatly anointed man of God preaching and he was sleeping. It may look like something to judge him for, but there are many like Eutychus in the Church today. Many people go to the Church today and sleep throughout the service. They may not be closing their physical eyes, but their spiritual eyes are closed. Some workers are sleeping spiritually while the anointing is flowing. John 7:38-39 says:

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The rivers referred to in the Scripture above is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit flows like a river. When He is moving, if you are not conscious of His presence and paying attention, He will flow past you and you would miss your miracle. Anyone who saw Eutychus and the others leaving the service the next morning would have thought that they were blessed and fully charged spiritually, not knowing that some of them like Eutychus slept off during the meeting and were leaving just the same way that they came. This is why many people keep attending powerful crusades and life changing services but their lives have remained the same.

Sometimes, the organizers of these services are the ones who actually make it easy for people to sleep when they should be fellowshipping. When you decorate the Church and it look like art gallery, people would be appreciating the art rather than connecting with the Lord. The Church is a place of intimate fellowship with God so let the environment foster that more than anything else. That is why we decorate our Church auditoriums in The Redeemed Christian Church pf God with Scriptures. Everywhere you turn, there is a Bible verse that will catch your attention because we want you to be focused on God and nothing else.

KEY POINT
Church services play a major role in equipping you for all-round success; don’t sleep in training.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 79-82

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST

1. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

2. Beneath the shadow of thy throne,
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4: A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home!

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MEMORISE: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Romans 13:1

READ: Proverbs 21:1 -3
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

MESSAGE

1. Lord l want to thank You for all the leaders You have raised in this generation. Thank You for the political leaders as well as those in the Church. We know that no one can lead except You have chosen them; thank You for choosing these people, Lord.

2. Father I pray that You give all our leaders wisdom and understanding to lead the people aright. Give them the ability to discern, to know how to deal with each situation they are confronted with, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, please send Your Holy Spirit to teach our leaders the best way to lead, in ‘Jesus’ name. Advice them every step of the way and let them listen to Your advice, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please strengthen our good leaders to continue to remain steadfast in leading the people aright and remove every discouragement from their way, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, every leader who refuses to do Your will, please remove him or her from that position of leadership, in Jesus’ name

6. Father, please put in our leaders the zeal and passion to lead the people the right way. Let them be true servant-leaders, with the needs of the people as their utmost priority, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please put in our leaders the confidence and boldness they need to do their jobs effectively, in Jesus’ name. Let them not be afraid to do things differently, for the good of the people, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please raise helpers for our leaders – people who will help them discharge their leadership duties effectively , in Jesus’ name.

9. Lord, in any sector where we need help in my nation, please raise a leader to fix the problem there in Jesus’ name. Raise at least one leader that will make that sector great, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please let our leaders work together in love and unity. Don’t let there be hatred and discord amongst them, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please plant Your fear in the hearts of our leaders. Please make all our leaders righteous in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer requests for your leaders, especially those you interact with closely and whose decisions affect you directly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 78

AUTHOR: PASTOR E” A ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
1. Onward, Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See his banners go!

[Chorus]
Onward, Christian soldiers!Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.

2. At the sign of triumph
Satan’s host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
On to victory.
Hell’s foundations quiver
At the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
Loud your anthems raise.

3. Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the Saints have trod.
We are not divided;
All one body we:
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity.

4. Onward, then, ye people;
Join our happy throng.
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the King.
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing.

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