MEMORISE: And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Luke 17:17

READ: Luke 17:12 -19

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

MESSAGE
Healing is good but wholeness is awesome. When you experience healing, you must not stop at that – you must proceed to the level of wholeness in good health. There is a secret way to wholeness and that is the way of thanksgiving, praise and worship. Unfortunately, some people don’t know this way. They are incurable request-makers. All they do is issue command in the place of prayer. They issue commands without expressing any form of gratitude to the Almighty Owner of the heavens and the earth!

In our Bible text today, we read about how ten lepers confronted our Lord Jesus Christ with a request for healing. Jesus obliged them and asked them to go and show themselves to the priests. On the way, they all became healed. It however, remained one more step for them to get to the level of wholeness.

A typical example of wholeness is what Naaman experienced in 2 Kings 5:14. Naaman experienced wholeness – not mere healing, as there was no trace of leprosy on him after his encounter with the God of Israel.

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 2 Kings 5:14

When the tenth leper saw that he was healed, he returned to Jesus to thank, praise and worship Him. Beloved, look around you and see the things God has already done for you, not just those you are seeking for Him to do.

Jesus was so impressed with this thankful man that He decreed his wholeness. The Bible says, “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?…And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:17, 19).

Give glory to God, praise Him, avoid evil, so that you would not only be healed but made whole, too. Beloved, cultivate the habit of praise, worship and adoration of the Most High God. Live holy, and you will continue to enjoy divine wholeness.

ACTION POINT
Spend ten minutes giving thanks unto God for all He has done for you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 2-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN23: THAT WONDERFUL NAME, JESUS

1 There’s power in the name of Jesus.
Power in the name of Jesus.
Power in the name of Jesus,
no other name I know.

Refrain:
Bless that wonderful name of Jesus.
Bless that wonderful name of Jesus.
Bless that wonderful name of Jesus,
no other name I know.

2 There’s healing in the name of Jesus.
Healing in the name of Jesus.
Healing in the name of Jesus,
no other name I know. [Refrain]

3 There’s saving in the name of Jesus.
Saving in the name of Jesus.
Saving in the name of Jesus,
no other name I know. [Refrain]

• 4 There’s wonder in the name of Jesus.
  There’s wonder in the name of Jesus.
  There’s wonder in the name of Jesus.
  No other name I know

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Memory Verse: James 5:14

Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of Lord. James 5:14
�Bible Reading: 1 John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

MESSAGE

Yokes represent bondage and they are of different kinds. The yoke of sickness is a terrible one for anyone to bear and it must be completely destroyed. This is why you need divine anointing to destroy the yoke of sickness. This was a yoke that kept a man bound for thirty-eight years at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-9). The yoke of sickness wasted thirty-eight years of his life but he got his deliverance from that bondage when he encountered the anointing upon Jesus Christ. No child of God should be bound by the yoke of sickness since His anointing is available for us as we see in our memory verse today.

A Church that is void of God’s anointing is not worth attending because the Church is the last hope of the sick, especially for ailments described by orthodox medical practitioners as incurable or terminal. Testimonies of divine healings in our Church programmes confirm the importance of God’s anointing, particularly when it comes to the destruction of yokes of sickness.

One case that readily comes to mind is that of a sister who a doctor had said would die within hours. Her husband left her in the hospital, only to invite his mistress to come and spend the night with him in their home. “What about your wife?” the mistress asked. “She has only a few hours to live before she dies in the hospital” the unfaithful husband said, thinking the wife had reached the end of her life. To the glory of God, that same night, the anointing destroyed the yoke of sickness in the sister’s life; she discharged herself and went straight home, only to meet her husband with the mistress.

Handkerchiefs that carry divine anointing have destroyed yokes of sickness, times without number.

The anointing also serves as a defensive weapon against the onslaught of the enemy. Psalm 105:15 says, “…Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm”. Beloved, as you seek the anointing of the Almighty God, every problematic situation you are faced with will be resolved to His glory, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT

You need the anointing to overcome spiritual obstacles. Seek it from a genuine man of God

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: RUTH 2 and I SAMUEL 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

1 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

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MEMORISE:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. Isaiah 10:27

READ: Exodus 40:12-15
12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:

15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

MESSAGE
Many people do not know how important the anointing is and so they despise it. I have seen situations in which some brethren refused to be ordained because they ignorantly thought that refusing the anointing that comes with ordination is a sign of humility. They could not be further from the truth.

Exodus 30:25 says, ”And thou shall make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil”.

From the Scripture above, we can safely deduce that there are different kinds of anointing. Today, we will be discussing divine anointing which is holy and can only be gotten from God. This is the kind of anointing everyone should thirst and yearn for.

One of the reasons for divine anointing is service, according to Exodus 28:41. God commanded Moses to anoint Aaron and His children “that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office” (Exodus 28 41). Divine anointing seals promotion, as found in 1 Samuel 10:1. This is the case of Saul after he was divinely chosen to be the first king of Israel.

Promotion, particularly in spiritual assignments, takes greater responsibility which requires divine backing. In the RCCG, we ordain people in stages as they assume greater spiritual responsibility.

As we see in our memory verse today, divine anointing breaks yokes!

Divine anointing makes the impossible possible. Classic examples of divine anointing are when Samson tore a lion into two with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6), and in 1 Samuel 17:33-36 that relates the exploits of David under divine anointing. He killed a lion and a bear after he had been anointed by Samuel. There is nothing a man under God’s anointing cannot do.

I therefore urge you to seek the anointing of the Holy Spirit today.

ACTION POINT
Purge yourself of anything that could hinder the flow of divine anointing into your life today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 21- RUTH 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER
1. All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

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MEMORISE:
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14

READ: Zephaniah 1:14-18 14 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MESSAGE
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD commeth, for it is nigh at hand: Joel 2:1

The very last day of this present age is the day of rapture. That day will be a day of rejoicing for some and a day of sorrow for many. Those who are living holy now will rejoice because they will be caught up with Jesus Christ in the skies and will go to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The rest however will cry because they would have missed the rapture. In which group will you be?

From our memory verse today, we see that on that day even mighty men will cry bitterly, Money and connections will not get anyone to heaven; in fact, the Bible says that the love of money will derail many from the faith (1Timothy 6:10). All your wealth will not help you that day; it is only Jesus Christ that can save you.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And know not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Matthew 24:38-39

Jesus said that day will be like in the days of Noah, Everything seemed okay and people were marring before that day just like they are doing now, but when the trumpet sounds, only those in the family of God will gain entrance into the ark. The One who will open the ark of salvation to us is Jesus Christ. He cannot be bribed or deceived, so those who are pretending to be living holy now will not enter the ark. After we who are in the family of God have been saved, then the flood of tribulations will start and the Bible says woe unto the inhabitants of the earth at that time (Revelation 12:12).

Nobody knows when Jesus will return for His saints. If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I plead with you to do so now, before it is too late.

ACTION POINT
If you want to be saved, surrender your life to Jesus now and begin to live holy henceforth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: I’VE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD, HALLELUJAH
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.?

Chorus
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 thee, Hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.

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MEMORISE:

Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Isaiah 13:9

READ: Isaiah 13:6 -11

6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:

8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

MESSAGE

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Matthew 24:40-41

On that very last day, many will lose their friends. Husbands will be separated from their wives. Some mothers will be separated from their children. One will go to heaven while the other will remain. That fellow who has been preaching to you lo live a holy life will no longer be there to preach to you, he or she would have been raptured? I also will no longer be here and that year will be the last year that this Open Heavens Devotional will be published.

Beloved, surrender your life to Christ now and live holy so that you will not be left behind on that day. From that day on, all these things you chase – money, houses, cars, fame , marriage and so on will be of no relevance. The only things that will matter is whether you are in heaven with Christ or on earth with the Anti-Christ. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isaiah 13:11

For those of us who will go to heaven, weeping will end permanently that day (Revelation 21:4). The world may be mocking us for living holy now. They may seem to be enjoying life now, but that very last day is coming when the sorrows of everyone who had not surrendered to the Lordship of Christ will begin. On that day, in the part of the world where it will be daytime, the sun will not shine its light. Where it is night , the moon will be darkened. The punishment of sinners would then start. Oh, I hope you will not be around to experience the punishment that will come after the rapture. I can assure you that you would wish you had given your life to Christ.

Put aside all the cares of this world that are hindering you from living holy now; they will no longer matter on that day. I pray you make it to heaven, in Jesus name.

KEY POINT

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24:42

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 14-16

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!

Chorus
Hold the fort, for I am coming!
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to heaven,
By Thy grace we will!

2. See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on:
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving!
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph
Over every foe!

4. 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:
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24:13

READ: Luke 9:57 -62
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE
On the first of January 2018, I announced when sharing the prophecies for the year that God said the countdown to the end had begun that year. Jesus Christ is coming back really soon. In today’s Bible reading, He gave us the signs to show us His coming is near- famine, earthquakes and pestilence in diverse places, saying that all these would be the beginning of sorrows.

In the original Greek language, the word translated ‘sorrow’ there actually means ‘labour pains’. In other words, the world would be going through labour pains in order to give birth to the new world which is the New Jerusalem. When a pregnant woman is about to give birth, she would start having pains, but as she gets closer to delivery, the pains would increase and come more frequently than before. If you check the statistics, you would see that the things Jesus said would be the beginning of labour pains have been happening more intensely and frequently in the last couple of years, than ever before. The earthquakes are more serious and widespread; even places that had never experienced earthquakes before are also having their share. The pestilences are spreading much faster around the world. These should tell you that the end is almost here.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14

As Jesus said, the gospel of the kingdom of God will be preached in all the world and when this happens, then the end shall come. If you look around the world, you will see more and more countries opening their boarders and allowing the gospel to be preached in their nations. I believe that all we are waiting for is for everyone to hear the gospel, so as to have a chance to give their lives to Christ and then, rapture will take place.

No one knows the date or the hour when Jesus Christ will come to take His children, so if you are not one of His children now, you will be left behind when He comes. If, however, you have already surrendered your life to Jesus, Please hold on to Him to the very end (Matthew 24:13); We are in the last days already are you ready for rapture?

REFLECTION
Be honest with yourself; if rapture happens today , will you be among those who will make it to heaven?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 10-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS
1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

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

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14

READ: Romans 10:1-14
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)

7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

MESSAGE
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. Romans 10:1

The above passage is Paul’s heart’s desire for this country. What is the desire of your heart for your country? Are you happy seeing the people of your country on their way to hell? Are you happy seeing the youths become more and more perverse by the day? If not, then you should do something about it. If you really love the people of your country, then you would not keep salvation to yourself, rather, you would preach to them and lead them to Christ.

Start from your village. When I became born again, the first major assignment I did for God was to establish a Church in my village. I did it because my desire was to see my kindred getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ. I wanted them to also enjoy the peace and joy that I now had. I couldn’t bear to watch them on their way to hell. If you take note, you will see that just as Paul described the people of Israel in our Bible reading today, your people also have a desire to know God. They yearn to connect with that Supreme Being who is in control of all things, but they are often ignorant as to the identity of the one true God and how to connect with Him. Believe me, when you preach to them, they will be very grateful to you for showing them the narrow path to God. Don’t deprive them of that knowledge and the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven rather than hell. Even if it is only one soul that you are able to lead to Christ amongst your people, that one soul will be eternally grateful to you when he or she gets to heaven. All the effort to win that one soul would have been well worth it.

Your people need God, they want to call on Him, but they cannot do so except they know Him. They cannot know Him except someone preaches to them. Why don’t you make yourself available as the bridge between them and God today? Imagine you bringing Jesus Christ to your village. Imagine people coming to your village to receive healings and miracles just because of you. Imagine how much God can do in and for your country just because you preached the gospel there. Don’t deny your people of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ACTION POINT
Preach the gospel of Jesus to at least one member of your family today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 8-9

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!

Chorus
Hold the fort, for I am coming!
Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to heaven,
By Thy grace we will!

2. See the mighty host advancing,
Satan leading on:
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving!
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph
Over every foe!

4. 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:
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8

READ: Joshua 14:12-14
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

MESSAGE
The implication of Caleb’s request in our Bible reading today is that he was asking for a new responsibility and assignment. It should be recalled that though the Lord had declared that the promise land belonged to the children of Israel, they still had the responsibility of acquiring it. The original settlers would not give up the land they had occupied from time immemorial, hence the need for the Israelites to fight to take what had been divinely declared to be theirs

One of the most difficult types of lands to acquire is a mountain, yet Caleb told Joshua, “Give me this mountain”. The Lord had assured Caleb that He would give that part of the land to him for his good report of faith. This faith persisted even into his old age; he still believed in the faithfulness of God to give him the mountain part of the Promised Land.

In today’s reading, we learn that, “Lord, give me this mountain means, “Give me this assignment and by Your grace, I shall accomplish it”. For example, when you pray that God should make you His minister, you are asking for a great task but I can assure you that His grace will be sufficient for you, according to 1 Timothy 3 :1 which says, “..If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work”. “Give me this mountain” could also mean, “Make me a missionary and I shall win the world for You” or “Make me Your disciple and I shall do greater works for You”.

Desiring to work for God is the best thing that can happen to a child of God. However, it is a great responsibility, for example, in 1 Timothy 3:2 the Bible says, “A bishop then must be blameless…” among other qualifications. In other words, living a sinless life is part of the price of doing God’s work. In 2 Timothy 2:20-21 we read that only those who purge themselves of the impurities of life can carry out divine assignments successfully. Our memory verse today reveals God’s search of vessels unto honour, for which Isaiah volunteered. This was preceded by a process of purification after admitting his unworthiness (Isaiah 6:5-7). Beloved, for you to be used by God to successfully execute divine assignments, you must undergo spiritual purification through a new birth and sanctification by the blood of Jesus Christ (1John 1:8-9).

PRAYER POINT
Lord prepare me a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I will be a living sanctuary for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 6-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN3: 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
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8

READ: Isaiah 49:24-26
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

MESSAGE
Today, we shall continue with the study we commenced yesterday on the work of grace in the life of man. In our Bible reading we are assured that there is someone who can deliver the lawful captive. However, this is only achievable through grace. When darkness envelopes an individual, the fellow’s life becomes meaningless. The power of darkness is from the devil. Those whose lives are engulfed in darkness can never experience peace, joy and abundant life.

There is however, good news in Colossians 1:12-15 which tells us that our God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His Son. This kingdom is the Kingdom of light because the Bible says concerning Jesus Christ:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12

Beloved, in what areas of your life have you been experiencing the devastating influence of the power of darkness? Seek the grace that brought salvation to all men according to Titus 2:11-12 which says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. The lessons from this scripture are many.

The grace of God brings salvation – all-round salvation for that matter. This grace is equally teaching and empowering us to shun a sinful life and worldliness. This is why, when Jesus Christ saw the man who was healed of what hitherto had been described as an incurable disease, later in the temple, He told him, “…Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). As freely as the work of grace flows towards us, we must never take it for granted.

May the work of grace flow freely in your life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT
Lord, please deliver me from all forms of captivity by your work of grace, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JUDGES 3-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: CONQUERORS AND OVERCOMERS NOW ARE WE

1. Conquerors and overcomers now are we,
Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory,
If the Lord be for us, we can never fail;
Nothing ‘gainst his mighty pow’r can e’er prevail.

Refrain:
Conquerors are we, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood;
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood, thro’ the blood,
Thro’ the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.

2. In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,
Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;
Not to us, but unto him the praise shall be,
For salvation and for blood-bought victory.

3. Unto him that overcometh shall be giv’n
Here to eat of hidden manna sent from heav’n;
Over yonder he the victor’s palm shall bear,
And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.
————————
Remember: ‘There Is No Problem Without Solution; Jesus Is The Solution To All Problems’.
————————

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MEMORISE
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 1 Peter 3:18

READ: 1 Timothy 1:15 -17

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

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

MESSAGE
Every sinner belongs to the Devil (1 John 3:8) and is a servant of sin (Romans 6:16). A servant in this context is like a prisoner who has lost his or her freedom. For us to be free, we need grace and this can only be found in the truth of the word of God according to John 8:31-32. The difference between a sinner and a saint is that the saint hears the truth and embraces it while the sinner hears but ignores it. For example, the Bible says:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – (1 John 1:8-9).

The above Scripture contains the truth that set me free some decades ago. Coming from a highly disciplined family, I grew up as a moralist and so thought I was far better than many people. I did not think I was in any serious sin that could warrant my need for a saviour. However, the grace of God beamed upon my soul and when I saw my filthy life of hypocrisy, I cried out for salvation.

It is the grace of God that brings salvation to humanity (Titus 2:11); however, anyone who trivializes the grace of God is dead already. Noah found grace before God (Genesis 6:8), and this led to his salvation. If, however, Noah had toyed with the grace, he would have perished as well.

Indeed, it is by grace that we are saved and we must never deny it’s importance in performing all God-given assignments as we see in (2 Corinthians 9:8): And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Beloved, the Lord has already made His grace abound towards you by giving His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ as a ransom for your soul (John 3:16).
Forsake your sins today and access this divine provision by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. It is the only way to escape the eternal damnation that awaits everyone who rejects the grace of God (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

PRAYER POINT
Father, thank you for your grace that abound towards me . Please Lord, help me make the best of it, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 24- JUDGES 2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND
1. Let us with a gladsome mind �Praise the Lord for He is kind;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.
�
2. Let us sound His name abroad, �For of gods He is the God;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

3. He, with aII-commanding might, �Filled the new-made world with light;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

4. All things living He doth feed, �His full hand supplies their need;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

5. He His chosen race did bless �In the wasteful wilderness;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

6. He hath with a piteous eye �Looked upon our misery;
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure.

7. Let us with a gladsome mind �Praise the Lord for he is kind
For His mercies shall endure �Ever faithful, ever sure

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