MEMORISE:
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. 2 Corinthians 4:6

READ: Esther 2:5-9
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean “Let there be shining beauty”. Darkness is ugly, and beauty is neither shown nor appreciated in it. For example, when darkness envelopes a beautiful woman, no one can appreciate her beauty. Conversely, when the light of God shines upon the same person, her beauty would be seen and appreciated by all.

In our Bible reading today, we read of God’s light shining upon a slave girl Esther who later became Queen. The secret is the light of God that shown upon her- nothing more. Nobody appreciates beauty in darkness. For example, in the daytime, Jacob admired Rachel so much that he opted for her instead of her elder sister. However, when darkness came and Leah was presented, he did not know who was who until the following morning (Genesis 29:16-19, 23-26).

An adage says that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. What many fail to know is that beauty is synonymous with light. It is she who has the light of God on her that looks beautiful. There was a woman who was beautiful not only to behold but also to be desired as a wife. However, the husband turned her to a punching bag! She appeared repulsive to the husband, despite her beauty and accomplishments. The truth of the matter was that darkness so beclouded her beauty that her husband could not appreciate it. The conclusion of the matter is found in our memory verse of today.

Do you want all forms of darkness and evil to depart from you? Do you want the light of God to beam and radiate His glory all over you?

Make up your mind to surrender all to the Light- Jesus Christ, and the light of God would shine upon you. Surrender all to the Father of lights today and every darkness beclouding your vision from seeing and experiencing His glory will flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let Your light shine upon me and reveal Your glory upon my life in Jesus’s name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 18-21.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

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!

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!

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.

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:
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea: Isaiah 48:18

READ: Philippians 4:6-7.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean let there be peace. There is, however, a link between having the peace of God and obedience to His commandments, as we see in our memory verse today.

One of the commandments which some people may not recognize is in Matthew 11:29 where Jesus Christ commands that we should learn of Him so that we may find rest (peace) for our souls. This is very important because Romans 10:17 also says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Also, there are categories of peace. We have regular peace (Isaiah 45:7), great peace (Psalm 119:165), all-round peace (1 Kings 4:24) and peace like a river (Isaiah 48:18).

A question that then comes to mind is, “who gives peace at whatever level?”. The answer is simple: God is the Giver of peace. He gives peace through His Son Jesus Christ- the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), this is why Apostle Peter prayed for the Church, saying “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). The preceding verse says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” In other words, before you can have the peace of God, you must learn to trust Him, and you cannot trust the One you do not know or accept as your all in all. In addition, you cannot talk of praising and honoring Him as you should.

On this note, I encourage you to seek the Father of lights (James 1:17) and I m confident that you will find Him as promised in Proverbs 8:17.

Do you wat the peace of God to reign in your life? Come to the Father of lights today through His Son Jesus Christ- the Prince of Peace. Confess your sins and if you have done before, decide to live a sinless life from now. May the light of God that brings peace beam over you and all that concerns you, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
Meditate on 2 Corinthian 6:14-18; step out of everything that represents darkness and come to Jesus Christ- the Light, today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 12-14.

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.

o Refrain:
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 the 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:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

READ: Esther 8:15-16.
15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

MESSAGE:
There is a correlation between light and joy just as there is between darkness and sorrow. “Let there be light” can therefore mean “Let there be joy”. There is no joy in darkness; light produces joy unspeakable, full of glory. However, joy is in categories. There is ordinary joy as we read in our memory verse today. In our Bible reading today we also read about the joy of God’s people when the darkness of wickedness and hatred that arose against them from Haman were quashed. There is also great joy according to 1 Chronicles 29:9:
“Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.”

In the Scripture above we learn one secret of the great joy of the people. This secret lies in the fact that they offered to the Lord their substance, their praise, willingly and with perfect hearts. Another lesson is that King David also rejoiced with great joy, which means that great joy is not determined by position, the amount of wealth or level of influence. Both the king and the ordinary people experienced great joy.

There is, however, another category of joy and that is exceeding great joy. Matthew 2:10 tells of the exceeding great joy of wise men who were searching for the new-born Savior of the world. It says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy”. When you discover the Person of Jesus Christ the Savior, your joy will be unspeakable and exceedingly great. This is also called the joy of salvation. Peter the Apostle described this kind of joy thus, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13)

Sorrow is the opposite of joy and it characterises the life of those who are not born again. Beloved, do you desire joy? Then get out of the darkness of this world of sin and embrace Jesus Christ- the light of this world. In John 8:12, Jesus says “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.”

ACTION POINT:
If you want unspeakable and exceedingly great joy, come out of the darkness of this world of sin and embrace Jesus Christ the Light today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 9-11.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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

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

o 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 thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.

4 I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole—
’Twas believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.

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MEMORISE:
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 Corinthian 8:9

READ: 2 Chronicles 9-10.
9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

MESSAGE:
Let there be light could mean “Let the darkness of poverty disappear” so that pure wealth from God may appear- the type that does not bring sorrow along with it. The Almighty God is the Master Strategist, the Architect-in-Charge of the universe and the Greatest Builder of all time. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No one is in this world by accident. He did not create man until all that he needed for his living was put in place. The earth was filled with the darkness of poverty, but God fixed it before creating man. I pray the Almighty God will deal with the darkness of poverty in your life, in Jesus’ name. The Almighty God told the children of Israel:
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Deuteronomy 8:18

The members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in particular have a covenant of pure wealth with God through our Father-in-the-Lord, the founder of RCCG. This is why we do not need to go the worldly way to get wealth. Wealth is our trademark because we need it to carry out our mandate of world evangelization and missions. The good news is that every child of God can partake in this covenant of prosperity through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, according to today’s memory verse.

In today’s text we read of a man who realized that poverty is a form of darkness and thus decided not to condone it any longer. He thus prayed against it. This man was Jabez. The lesson all children on God must learn here is that poverty is not a Christian virtue and so it should be abhorred with a passion. As a matter of fact, poverty is in direct opposition to our relationship with God who says the cattle on a thousand hill belong to Him (Psalm 50:10).

May the light of the Almighty God shine upon you today and cause every form of the darkness of poverty to forever flee, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, whatever beautiful plans You have for my life that the enemies have distorted through the power of darkness, please restore in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 5-8.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

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!

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!

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.

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:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

READ: Matthew 9:1-7.
1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

MESSAGE:
One of the consequences of sin is sickness. When the darkness of sin disappears, sickness flees with it. The words “Let there be light” could mean “Let there be healing” because sickness is a form of darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light, the Remover of sin, as well as the Healer. Our memory verse today says that we are dead to sin and healed by the stripes of Jesus.

The story in our Bible text confirms that sin, more often than not, cause sickness in mankind. Thus, once the problem of sin is dealt with, sickness is invariably healed as well. When Jesus saw the man that was sick of the palsy, He knew straightway that his problem was as a result of sin. Instead of engaging in an exercise in futility like many ministers of God do today, Jesus went straight to the root cause of the man’s sickness- sin. “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” Jesus declared. The result is found in the next verse in our text for today after Jesus had declared him forgiven. Jesus said:
“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.”
Matthew 9:6-7

Beloved, there are a lot of lessons to learn from today’s reading: One, for ministers of the gospel, we must not waste our time on praying for the sick who are not ready to let go of their sin. Two, for the sick, they must be humble enough to admit their sinful living, confess, forsake and totally repent of the sin. Three, Jesus Christ the Healer is the Forgiver of sins; every man must come to Him for salvation from all calamities, including the darkness of sickness. The assurance is that no matter how hopeless the situation may be, humanly speaking, by His stripes you will be healed. Just ensure that you have zero tolerance to any spiritual impurity in your body which is the temple of the Almighty God, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19.

ACTION POINT:
Purge yourself of all sinful habits so that the light of healing may shine upon you as from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 2-4..

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1 Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
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?

Refrain:
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 the mansions 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:
Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. Colossians 4:15

READ: Romans 16:3-5.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

MESSAGE:
The Home Church model is the oldest form of worship centers right from the Old Testament days. It should be recalled that what is now known as Abrahamic faith in at least three notable religions of the world started as a family mode of worship. The Bible tells of how the Abrahamic faith started within the household of Abraham in Genesis 18:19. It is equally interesting to note that when the New testament Church was born, it was within a household at the Upper Room (Acts 1:13). This was where all the earliest apostles were residing when the New Testament Church was inaugurated by the coming of the Holy Ghost.
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:.. Likewise greet the church that is in their house…..” Romans 16:3, 5

Therefore, adopting the Home Church model is going back to the basic. The Home Church model has been proven to be beneficial right from the birth of the Church and all hostility from the world against it. The blessings accruing from the model is innumerable but we shall mention some of the spiritual ones today.

To start with, putting a church in your house in the form of a House Fellowship center is like putting the Ark of the Covenant there and it brings abundant blessing like in the case of Obededom. In 2 Samuel 6:10-11. Obededom became a national celebrity to the extent that even King David envied him and hurriedly took the Ark away from his household. The good news is that no one can take the Church away from you as long as you allow Jesus to remain in your house.

Corporately speaking, the home Church mode enhances all-round growth of the church. Spiritually, members of the House Fellowship and by extension, of the church are well-groomed since they would be properly taken care of. This model discourages the loss of souls in the multitude of the bigger mother-Church. As we can see from the scriptures we reviewed above, the Home Church model is a design from God and we must all return to it.

Beloved, decide to use your home as a sub-unit of the bigger Church today and you would be richly blessed by so doing, in Jesus’s name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please qualify my home to be a custodian of Your Church, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 46-48.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEAR, 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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MEMORISE:
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? Isaiah 66:1

READ: 1 John 1:1-3,14
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

MESSAGE:
The word ‘wonder’ could be considered as an apt description of God. Our God is full of wonders. At creation we saw how God brought order out of a chaotic situation. The Bible says:
“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:2-3

The above Scripture gives assurance of peace to anyone who would come to God through Jesus Christ our lord. In our memory verse today, we read that God is so magnificent that the entire heaven is His throne while, as large as the earth is, it is His footstool. This is to tell us that no matter how big our challenges are, God is bigger than them all, as a songwriter affirms.

Another area of the wonders of God is found in our Bible text of today. God is an eternal personality playing different roles. He is the word with God and at the same time he is God. The implication of this reality is that whoever trivializes the Word of God trivializes God Himself. Jesus Christ said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). Moreover, because the Word is powerful, if we abide in Him, our lives would be transformed, and we would be victorious. The Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 understood this and took advantage of his knowledge of this truth when he requested that Jesus Christ should merely speak the Word to his servant’s situation for healing.

“The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Matthew 8:8

The God of wonders is alive to deal with your situation and give you pleasant wonders as we journey through the year 2022. Go ahead and praise the God of wonders right now.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please perform Your wonders in my life today, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 43-45.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: OH 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. Within the shadow of thy throne,
Still may we dwell 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. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while life shall last
And our eternal home.

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MEMORISE:
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

READ: 1 Timothy 6:1-6
1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved,
partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

MESSAGE:
Today, we shall look at some more lessons we can draw from the life and times of prophet Elisha. The first one is based on today’s memory verse, which says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6. Elisha was a contented man of God. He understood true prosperity according to Proverbs 23:5 which says that worldly riches are temporary and fly away as an eagle toward heaven, Elisha had total consecration and was not given to materialism. This was attested to by his refusal to exchange his double anointing for the gift brought by Naaman after the latter was healed of leprosy (2 kings 5:16,26). One striking virtue of Elisha that we must imbibe is his heart of sincere service. This was so obvious that it was well known in Israel. Little wonder that when King Jehoshaphat was looking for a genuine prophet to consult, one of his servants testified of Elisha thus:
“But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.” 2 Kings 3:11

Elisha was forward-looking. He didn’t allow the present to blur the view of his future. He left a lucrative farming business to become a famous national prophet. Many are so short-sighted, like Esau who sold his birthright for a plate of pottage (Genesis 25:29-35). The cumulative virtue of Elisha made him become a man of a double-portion anointing. He performed miracles- double of what his master Elijah performed. For example, he raised two dead people whereas his master raised one. May the Lord make us disciples of a double-portion anointing, so that we may do greater works that Christ did, in Jesus’ name (John 14:12).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a heart of genuine service and fill me with the Holy Spirit so I can do exploit for you, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 41-42.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

o Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

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MEMORISE:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10:44

READ: 2 Kings 3:11-12
11 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

MESSAGE:
Another quality which qualified Elisha for uncommon greatness is his devotion to serving the servant of God, Elijah. The Bible stated that Elisha poured water on Elijah’s hand (2 Kings 3:11). From this, it is clear that there are many blessings reserved for those who serve God’s servants. The bible says:
“He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.” Matthew 10:41

You can serve a man of God without getting paid directly; however, when that man of God says to you ‘God bless you’, he is not just paying you compliments. A casual ‘God bless’ from a friend does not carry the power that the same word from a man of God would. The words ‘God bless you’ from a man of God are loaded with prophetic blessings. You must therefore be ready to do something that will qualify you for a divine blessing.

When you serve a man of God, a simple ‘God bless you’ will load you with tremendous miracle. Sometimes ago, one of my sons-in-the-Lord shared a testimony of how he was mightily blessed simply by driving me during one of my visits to the United States of America. He said of me “When he was finally leaving, he simply said ‘God bless you’. To the glory of God, I passed my exam in flying colors, got a new job and prospered tremendously”.

When Elijah asked to know what Elisha wanted, the latter had only one answer. A double portion of the power of Elijah. Elisha asked for what he would use for God’s work, and we see in our Bible reading today, God blessed him so much that kings were seeking his help. The Bible says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). You are not ready for uncommon greatness until you have settled the issue of your involvement in and commitment to Kingdom business. May the Lord give you the grace to work for Him and with His anointed ministers selflessly from today, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
Think of what you can do to extend the frontiers of God’s Kingdom on earth, today and move into immediate action.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 38-40.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I AM PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY.

1. I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up, and let me stand
By faith, on heaven’s tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2. My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

3. I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught a joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

4. I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

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MEMORISE:
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. Proverbs 22:29

READ: 1 Kings 19:15-21
15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

MESSAGE:
We can learn many lessons from the life and times of Elisha- the successor to the great Prophet Elijah. In the next few days, we shall consider some of these lessons, and we will start with ‘diligence’ today. For example, we see that Elisha- a prosperous farmer’s son, was working alongside his father’s employees when Elijah met him. He could have refrained from joining the workers, but he worked with them because he was a diligent man. To excel physically in your endeavors, you must be diligent (Proverbs 22:19); likewise, to excel spiritually, you must seek the Lord diligently (Hebrews 11:6).

Another lesson we can learn from Elisha is ‘good leadership’. As successful as he was, he was in the field with the hirelings, ploughing in his father’s farm (1 Kings 19:19). He was a leader by example- not a sit-at-home leader who issues commands while he himself would not lift a finger to do anything. To lead is to serve, according to the injunction of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 20:27. He was diligently doing his business when he received the call to the office of a prophet. Children of God should not be idling away in the name of a call that could be for a set time- they must be found busy doing legitimate business because the Lord does not call mediocre. Moreover, Elisha did not allow his call to becloud his obligation to honor his father before resuming at his divine post as a son of the prophet (1 kings 19:20). This conforms with the Scripture that says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12).

It is a dangerous thing to fail in honoring our parents under the guise of either a new-found faith or calling in the ministry. I will forever be grateful to God who gave me the opportunity to honor my mother while she was still alive and I received a lifetime blessing from her. Beloved, let us take note of these lessons as we continue to examine the life and times of Elisha the prophet.

ACTION POINT:
Take time to study Prophet Elisha on your own and it will surprise you how many lessons the Holy Spirit will teach you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 35-37.

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.

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.

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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