MEMORISE:

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

READ: Genesis 26:12-14
12Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

MESSAGE
Glory is a shame terminator. Wherever the glory of God is present, shame will never be found there. Hence, anything that is shameful embarrassing and humiliating, such as sickness, poverty, a sinful lifestyle, backsliding, bondage, and failure, should not be identified with children of God.

Poverty is closely associated with hunger, nakedness, homelessness, begging for alms, and wandering. Indeed, poverty is evil, and it has a way of dehumanizing people. However, being a child of God or attending church services or programms does not automatically cast away poverty. To be free from poverty, you must be completely obedient to God. In today’s bible reading, Isaac was determined to pursue greener pasture in Egypt in order to escape the terrible famine in the land. The Lord however warned him not to take that step, then showed him where he should dwell. Isaac obeyed and God blessed him greatly, as we see in Genesis 26:12-14:
“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.”

In essence, the bible is saying that Isaac reaped the fruit of obedience. Furthermore, to be free from poverty, one must be diligent in business. Despite God’s promises of abundant blessings in Genesis 26:3, Isaac did not fold his hands, waiting for the miracles. He cultivated, sowed, and labored hard on the field, then the Lord fulfilled his promise by blessing his labor. Also, we must persevere in the face of obstacles on our way to achieving our success. There is always an interval between sowing and reaping. It is usually a period when obstacles and challenges come at you from every angle; perseverance is highly required to overcome.

Finally, you must not be robber of God’s tithes, first fruit and offerings. Obedience in all things is needed to live a glorious life free of poverty, shame, and all sorts of evil put together.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please let your glory fill me and set me free from poverty in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 17-18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 25: TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE.
1. To God be the glory
Great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice
Come to the Father
Through Jesus the Son
Give Him the glory
Great things He has done

2. perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

3. Great things He has taught us, great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see

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MEMORISE:

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. ISAIAH 60:1

BIBLE READING: MARK 5:25-34

25. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26. And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30, And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31. And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32. And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

MESSAGE:

It is difficult to describe Gods glory as it is a combination of the great power, splendour and holiness that accompany Gods presence, as well as its effects on man.

Glory is one of the major attributes of God; it is a manifestation of His presence.

Since man was created in the image of God, glory was originally part of his nature.

However, when man embraced sin, the inherent glory of God departed.

Romans 3:23 therefore says, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Sin did not only tamper with mans glory, it wreaked more havoc by also producing shame.

A glorious life is so wonderful that Genesis 2:25 said of Adam and Eve, And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Though Adam and Eve were physically naked, they were covered with glory – that was why they did not know shame.

It was absolutely impossible for them to experience shame.

However, in Genesis 3:7-10, after sin entered, fear gripped them; they suddenly discovered they were naked and had to hide due to shame.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden to date, every human being who ever lived without being born again, wallowed in the realm of shame.

According to Proverbs 3:35, glory is the opposite of shame.

Quite simply, glory is the atmosphere of heaven on earth.

Glory is both the beauty and power of God; it was lost at Eden but was regained at Calvary.

Jesus came to redeem mankind and give those who accept Him the hope of glory, according to Romans 5:2 Todays memory verse tells us to arise and shine because, with the presence of Gods glory, nothing can hinder the rising of a child of God.

I therefore pray for you: Today, you will rise and begin to shine, in Jesus name.

There is nothing glorious about sickness, poverty, a sinful lifestyle, backsliding, bondage, and failure.

Children of God must be determined to live above these problems, swimming daily in glory.

Today, our Bible reading shows a classic example of a person who encountered Jesus Christ and was relocated from the realm of wallowing in shame to that of swimming in glory.

Beloved, come to Jesus today and surrender all to Him so you can also become a candidate for Gods glory (Colossians 1:27).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please let Your glory fill me. Turn my shame to glory, in Jesus name.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:
LEVITICUS 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN:

O WORSHIP THE KING

1. O worship the King,
All glorious above,
O gratefully sing
His power and His love;
Our Shield and Defender,
The Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendour,
And girded with praise.

2. O tell of His might,
O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light,
Whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath
The deep thunder-clouds form,
And dark is His path
On the wings of the storm.

3. Thy bountiful care,
What tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air,
It shines in the light,
It streams from the hills,
It descends to the plain,
And sweetly distils
In the dew and the rain.

4. Frail children of dust,
And feeble as frail;
In Thee do we trust,
Nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies, how tender,
How firm to the end,
Our maker, Defender,
Redeemer, and Friend!

5. O measureless Might!
Ineffable Love!
While angels delight
To hymn Thee above,
The humbler creation,
Though feeble their lays,
With true adoration,
Shall lisp to Thy praise.

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MEMORIZE:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. EPHESIANS 1:3

BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14

1. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

2. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

3. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

4. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

6. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

7. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

8. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

9. The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

10. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

11. And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

12. The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

13. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

14. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

MESSAGE:

Our possessions as children of God are multifaceted.

When we consider Genesis 1:26, we can see an aspect of our possession dominion.

In other words, it is Gods will for us to be in charge.

This is so important that God also made it a point of His blessing to Abraham and his children (Genesis 22:17).

Moses blessed the children of Israel in the name of the Lord and said in Deuteronomy 28:13: “And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.”

Why this topic “Possess your possession” when a possession is already at the person’s disposal?

This is particularly a puzzle when we consider Genesis 1:26.

The truth of the matter is that man lost this possession to sin and the devil, according to the account of the fall in Genesis 3.

Thus, it has to be repossessed.

To do this, man needed Someone more powerful than the devil.

Glory to God, Jesus came to our rescue.

The Bible says: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9.

To access the blessing above, you must be a Kingdom child.

To be a Kingdom child requires a truly repentant heart and acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

This connects you with the True Vine in whom you would begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance) as we see in Galatians 5:22-23 and the fruit of souls that will abide in the Kingdom of God (John 15:16).

This is the path towards possessing your possessions (Matthew 6:33) and accessing everlasting life (John 3:16 ).

Walk in it.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, give me the grace to possess my possessions, in Jesus’s name.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 11-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A.

HYMN:

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my king, through eternal ages let his praises ring;
glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
standing on the promises of God.

CHORUS
Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior; standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
resting in my Savior as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God.

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MEMORISE:
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mark 9:45

READ: Luke 16:19-24.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

MESSAGE:
We discussed the wonders of heaven yesterday, concluding that it is better to experience them and avoid the horrors of hell by all means. Today, we shall look at some reasons we must avoid spending our eternity in hell. The horrors of hell are indeed many, but we shall consider only a few of them today.

The first horror of hell that comes to mind can be found in Revelation 20:10 and 21:8. Hell is going to be a great gathering of all evil spirits and every abominable human being that ever lived on the face of the earth. The devil himself will be in that eternally miserable assembly. Just imagine being in the company of demons, witches and wizards, and at the same time having all unrepentant wicked persons, warlords, cannabis, terrorists and notorious killers who ever lived, gathered together in a single location, imagine the oppression, harassment, horror and trembling that would characterize life in such a place. Everyone there will be in agonizing pain; anger and misery will fill the entire place. There will be unspeakable weeping and expression of pain and agony. The Bible puts it this way in Matthew 13:50:
“And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

This takes us to the second horror of hell: the fire is unquenchable, the heat is terrible, the agony and pain are unbearable. Furthermore, this agonizing torment last forever. The terrible heat in hell makes a drop of water far more precious than billions of any currency in this world. The Bible in Luke 16:23-24 tells us that the rich man in hell ”….. lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” The unquenchable fire of hell brought about horrifying agony and thirst in the rich man, so much so that he longed for just a drop of water to cool himself, to no avail.

Beloved, the only way to escape the horrors of hell is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, surrender all to Him and live a righteous life through the help of the holy Spirit.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, by Your grace, I refuse to be a candidate of hell, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 8-10.

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.

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MEMORISE:
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1

READ: 1 John 3:1-3.
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

MESSAGE:
The Christian life is so full of wonders that one of the earliest apostles marveled at the manner of love God showered on us, making us His children (1 John 3:1). Every genuine Christian has experienced the wonder of being adopted into the family of God as we see in Romans 8:15.

When we consider the benefits and privileges of being a child of the most powerful Personality in heaven, or earth and anywhere at all, we will begin to appreciate the wonders of being a Christian. The world cannot understand these benefits, yet they are real. Some religions of the world cannot come to terms with the fact that Christians call God their Father. Some people were even upset with me for calling God my daddy. However, God is my Daddy indeed. I told them if their relationship with God stops at calling Him “Father”, no problem, but He is my Daddy. Period.

However, one of the implications of this is that we should not trivialize the privilege or take it for granted. This takes us back to our discussion yesterday on the most important demand on the Christian life- holiness. The child of a lion is a lion. As Christians, we are called to be perfect as our Father in heaven, purifying ourselves always (Matthew 5:48, 1 john 3:3).

How do we purify ourselves? The Bible gives the answer “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:9). A pure and sinless life is very simple if we live our lives according to the word of God. I have taught it several times that holiness is simply obedience. You can be considered holy or righteous when you obey God to the last letter of His instructions. God told Adam “Don’t” but he did and so became a sinner. Thus, by the Spirit of Jesus Christ and our obedience to His word, we are holy and so fulfill the condition of being His children.

It is important to note that these wonders are reserved strictly for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Surrender your life to Him too today if you haven’t done so yet, and you will experience the wonders of being adopted into the family of God.

ACTION POINT:
Praise God extravagantly for making you His child.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 38-40.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: O WHAT A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL DAY.
1. What a wonderful wonderful day
Day I will never forget
After I’d wandered in darkness away
Jesus my Savior I met
O what a tender compassionate friend
He met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling with joy I am telling
He made all the darkness depart

Refrain
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul
When at the cross the Savior made me whole
My sins were washed away
And my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul

2. Born of the Spirit with life from above
Into God’s fam’ly divine
Justified fully through Calvary’s love
O what a standing is mine
And the transaction so quickly was made
When as a sinner I came
Took of the offer of grace
He did proffer He saved me
O praise His dear name

3. Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure
After the passing of time
I have a future in heaven for sure
There in those mansions sublime
And it’s because of that wonderful day
When at the cross I believed
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
From His precious hand I received

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MEMORISE:
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John15:8

READ: Matthew 28:19-20.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MESSAGE:
There are a lot of blessings accrued to genuine Christian living, but these do not come without some obligations on the part of the Christian. For example, the peace of God that passes all understanding is one of the benefits of Christian living, just like divine healing or divine health, according to Deuteronomy 7:15 and 1 Peter 2:24. However, we must meet certain demands before we can access these blessings. One of such demands is fruit-bearing. The lifestyle of a genuine Christian must show that the fellow has truly repented and forsaken his or her sins. John the Baptist, in Luke 3:7-8, told those who claim to have repented to bear fruit that confirmed repentance:
“ Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…..”

This fruit-bearing also includes soul-winning, as Jesus stated in John 15:8: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” To bear fruit through soul-winning requires preaching the gospel according to our Bible reading today. A Christian worthy of his or her calling must make soul-winning a priority. As a matter of fact, the proof that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ is to harvest the souls He came to die for. A Christian will not allow the passion and the death of Jesus Christ to be in vain. We must also praise Him as the Bible says:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
1 Peter 2:9

The most important demand upon a Christian is holiness. Once we have become Christians, we must separate ourselves from all ungodly activities and relationships. The Bible says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Matthew 5:48 says we should be perfect even as our Lord is. May the Lord grant you the grace to be perfect, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to meet the demands of a Christian life, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 36-37.

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 banner go!

Refrain:
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 thro’ countless ages
men and angels sing.

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MEMORISE:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

READ: John 1:11-12.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

MESSAGE:
The first mystery of a Christian life has to do with the newness of everything when person gives his or her life to Jesus Christ. In our Bible reading today we saw that God gives a sinful man the grace to become one of His children. With the power of God being available to every believer, many new things happen to the fellow. One, the believer’s name automatically changes. For example, the Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that while the recompense of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life for anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). The Bible says further, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

Another mystery of the Christian life is the gift of a brand-new existence in the Holy Spirit as the flesh and its evil works are crucified. A Christian produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:19-25).

In a nutshell, when you give your life to Christ, your name changes from Sinner to Saint. This is why our memory verse today concludes that anyone who is in Christ Jesus becomes a new creature, dead to all his or her old ways.

A Christian life brings an individual under a new management. Jesus Christ said that we should come to Him to be taught to become like Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Christless people find it impossible to lead a life of obedience, but a Christian finds new abilities which enable him or her to do all things (Philippians 4:13). A person who had been far away from God can now hear Him speak- giving classified information that others do not have access to (John 10:27).

The mysteries of a Christian life also include the gift of a new garment. A Christian wear a garment of praise and not one of murmuring and complaints (Psalm 103:1-5). The Christian life brings about divine health (1 Peter 2:24), divine provisions (Philippians 4:19), divine peace (John 14:27) and divine friendship (John 15:14-15). Beloved, if you are yet to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do so now so you can also begin to enjoy the mysteries of the Christian life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let me never miss out on any of the mysteries of a Christian life and use me to bring more souls into the Kingdom, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 33-35.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

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MEMORISE:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mark 10:51

READ: Luke 24: 13-31.
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MESSAGE:
The words, “Let there be light” could mean “Lord, open my spiritual and physical eyes”. To the physically blind fellow, it means “Let me be able to see”. To the spiritually blind, it means “Lord, open my spiritual eyes so that I may begin to see the invisible”. The Psalmist wrote, “Open mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). This did not mean the Psalmist was physically blind, rather, he knew that he could only see the depth of the Lord’s will for his life in the word of God when his spiritual eyes were open. Some people may be doing the wrong thing without knowing and they would think they are on the right path (Proverbs 16:225). This is so common among the religious and intellectuals. The case of Saul of Tarsus who became Paul the Apostle is a classic example of this (Acts 9:1-6).

The story in our memory verse today points to the darkness of physical blindness. People shouted Bartimaeus down because he could not see. A blind man may be subjected to unwarranted harassment, even from those close to him, probably because they feel he is a burden to them, slowing them down. In this story, it was those people who were scrambling to catch a glimpse of the Miracle-Worker- Jesus Christ, that were harassing him. However, the man refused to be intimidated. The Bible says that the more they shouted him down, the louder he shouted back- eventually drawing the attention of Jesus Christ himself. Shout back to the devil today and call on the Light to shine upon you in order to receive your sight- whether physical or spiritual.

Another lesson from this story is the fact that Jesus asked the blind beggar what he actually wanted. The Lord needed to hear him open his mouth to seek His help. Go ahead, open your mouth and pray about any problem you have today. The Father of lights will beam His light upon the situation in Jesus’ name and you will be victorious.

Spiritual blindness is a terrible form of darkness. In our Bible reading of today, two of the disciples were so spiritually blind that they did not recognize their Lord until the light shone on them. When the light of God shines on you, despair disappears, strength is regained and joy unspeakable would become your portion. Praise the Lord.

ACTION POINT:
Pray like the blind Bartimaeus did, asking that the Lord would send His light upon you for new insights into His will for your life, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 28-29.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

o Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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MEMORISE:
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: Isaiah 6:1-8
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 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.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean, “Lord, after You have shown me the solution to my problem, teach me how to help others also” or simply “Lord, use me for Your glory”. A life that does not serve a divine purpose is a wasted life and would have no recompense in the hereafter Jesus Christ clearly said:
“ And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:12

The reason we were not taken to heaven the very day we gave our lives to Christ is so that we may be useful and not only to serve the purpose of our creation and redemption, but be handsomely rewarded by our Father in heaven. When darkness fills a person’s life, such a person will lead a purposeless and unprofitable life. A lesson we must learn from Prophet Isaiah in our Bible reading today is that the moment the light of God shone upon him and he was shown his imperfection by God’s grace, he surrendered himself to be used of God.
“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

Joseph is another classic example of someone who, after the light of God shone upon him, served God’s purpose for his life consciously. Like Joseph, all children of God must seek to discover His unique purpose for their lives and pursue it vigorously (Genesis 50:19-20).

Beloved, when the light of God shines upon your life, you will see the importance of Mark 16:17-18 and you will earnestly pray for the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in Acts 1:8 over your life.

God has already prepared a glorious future ahead for all His children through Christ (Colossians 1:27). Ensure you do not miss out on this by yielding you life entirely over to the Light- Jesus Christ and live according to His purpose for your life.

God bless you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let Your light shine upon my life and help me fulfil my divine purpose, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 26-27.

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.

o Refrain:
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.

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.

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.

5. Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

6. There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee.

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