MEMORISE:
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15

READ: Psalms 37:1-9

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

MESSAGE:
When you complain about what God has not given you, you are being ungrateful to Him for what He has done. Think about it: if He has given you money to rent a one-room apartment, thank Him for that one room and He will give you more. The more you complain and grumble, the further God draws away from you because He detests the company of complainers. When the Israelites complained about a lack of meat despite Gods provision of manna, Numbers 11:1 says:

“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.”

Imagine giving your child a phone and instead of appreciating your gift, he or she complains about it not being internet-enabled then smashes It into pieces. You would certainly be angry. Now, imagine if the child appreciated the phone, then came after a few weeks to say “Daddy/Mummy, I like this phone, but if you don’t mind, I would prefer one that can use the internet”. You would most likely assure the child that you will buy it for him or her soon and then strive to fulfil your promise. Many Christians are short-changing themselves by always complaining. If you appreciate what God has given to you, He will give you more, but if you grumble, then you will get Him angry.

Trust God, He wants the best for you and He will give it to you when the time is right.

Things may not be the way you want now, but trust God and appreciate what He has given to you.

1 Timothy 6:6 says:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Ambition is good but even as you strive for greater heights, learn to be content with where you are and what you have.

He is bringing you to that desired place very soon in Jesus’ name. God bless you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, help me to trust in Your love and to appreciate all that You have done for me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 20-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

READ: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

MESSAGE:

Contentment is one major trait that you need in order to live a good life and finish the heavenly race successfully. The treasures of this world are a major tool in the hands of the devil to make Christians fall. Even though the devil knew that Jesus Christ was well aware of the mansions waiting for Him in heaven, he still tried to tempt Him with the glories of this world (Luke 4:5-7). That is the same way he tempts Christians even today. He will show you your neighbour’s new car and tell you that if you just steal a little money or cheat a client, then you can also buy that car. Your response should be that of Jesus in Luke4:8:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

The only people who will fall into this trap of the devil are those who are not content with what they have. It is fine to want more but be grateful to God for the little that you have now as you ask Him for more. Don’t put your attention on what you don’t have, rather, put it on what you do have. Don’t put your attention on what God has not given you, put it on what He has given you.

I have come to discover that when a person puts his attention so much on riches, they may eventually come, but at the expense of the fellow’s stand with God. David said in Psalm 37:4 that your delight should not be in the things of this world but in the Lord. Only then will He give you all that you desire.

What is it that delights you? Is it having more money, buying new cars, travelling on vacation or is it the Lord? If your delight is in worldly things, the devil will present them to you in return for some compromises of your faith. Don’t compromise to get rich, it is not worth it. Matthew 16:26 says if you gain the entire world and lose your soul, you are at a loss. Proverbs 16 :8 says:

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.”

God wants you to prosper (3 John 2), so you don’t have to compromise your faith to be rich. It is better to be poor knowing that you are on your way to heaven than to be rich but on your way to helI.

KEY POINT:

When you are content with what God has given you and are grateful to Him, He will give you more.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 17-19

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 26: TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE.

1. To God be the glory, great things He hath 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.

o Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

2. Oh, 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 hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

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MEMORISE:

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:19

READ: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

MESSAGE:

There is something very powerful about praying in agreement with someone else. It is something that beats all my mathematical reasoning. For example, Leviticus 26:8says: ·

“And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.”

If I am to analyse this passage mathematically, when five chase a hundred, it means that they are chasing them at a ratio of 1 to20. In other words, one chases 20. Thus, you would expect that a hundred would chase two thousand (one hundred people multiplied by agree on earth as twenty). However, they chase ten thousand! That is five times each fellow’s initial capacity.

There is yet another stronger dimension to prayers of agreement. Jesus talked about it thus:
“Again, I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew18:19-20

From what Jesus said in the passage above, if you have been asking Him for something just by yourself and He has been ignoring you, when you find someone to join you in a prayer of agreement, He will certainly answer.

When believers come together in one accord to pray, the heavens are opened. A very good example is what happened at the Upper room in Acts 2:1-2. Another example is when the believers came together to pray for the release of Peter from prison. When believers are in agreement, not that two of them are quarrelling, but that they are in real agreement, God moves. ,

Probably the best way to put the prayer of agreement into action is when you come together to pray with your spouse. Since the covenant between you two is stronger than that which you have with anybody else, then your prayers of agreement would carry tremendous power.

ACTION POINT:

Find a fellow believer to pray with, preferably your spouse if you are married and ask God for something only He can do.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST.

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

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

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

4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men”:
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

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

6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in foll’wing years.

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

8. Like flow’ry fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flow’rs beneath the mower’s hand
Lie with’ring ere ’tis night.

9. O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

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MEMORISE:

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

READ: Ezekiel 37:1-10

1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

4. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

7. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

MESSAGE:

God loves to partner with people for His work here on earth. When He wanted to deliver the people of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians, He partnered with Moses. When He wanted to raise dry bones to become an army, He partnered with Prophet Ezekiel as we see in today’s Bible reading. The major thing that qualifies you for partnership with God is holiness because He is a holy God and Amos 3:3 says two cannot walk together except they agree.

Beyond holiness however, one thing has to be clear from the beginning: He is the Senior Partner while you are the junior partner. Being the junior partner means that you have to forget whatever it is that you have achieved and place yourself wholly under His leadership.

Peter was a professional fisherman. He had been fishing since he was a youth. Jesus on the other hand was a carpenter. When Jesus wanted to perform the miracle of a boat-sinking catch and needed Peter to partner with Him, He told him to fish at a time when, from experience, Peter knew there would be little or no catch. Peter however put all his experience and qualifications aside to obey the Senior Partner and the result was a catch so great that it filled two boats.

One day, just after I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Lord said to me, ” My son, you are almost forty years old and forty as you know is considered the age of wisdom”. I said ”Yes, Lord”. He went on to show-me two graphs. One looked like a valley, the other a mountain. He then told me to choose which of the two I wanted. I understood straightaway by the help of the Holy Spirit, so I chose the valley. He said “Very well, son, I am ready to become your partner so that from now, you will be climbing. But for that to happen, everything about you has to reduce to zero.” Before that time, my name plate read ‘Rev. Dr. E.A Adeboye, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.’ and at the bottom was ‘General Overseer’. God said to me “From now, you will be known simply as Pastor Adeboye. All the big titles have to go – the B.Scs., M.Sc., Ph.D. I am not interested in them.”

If you want God to partner with you, humbly take the position of a junior partner. All your knowledge and achievements have to be put aside. Your obedience to your Senior Partner has to be absolute.

KEY POINT:

God is the Senior Partner; you are the junior partner. He instructs, you obey. He leads, you follow.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 9-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: IN CHRIST ALONE.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

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MEMORISE:

Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? 2 Samuel 7:5

READ: 2 Samuel 7:1-17

And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies;

2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee.

4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,

5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,

11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

15 But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

16 And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

MESSAGE:

Many times, I listen to people preach and I notice certain things they say that are not correct. This makes it pertinent for me to share with you that the vessel bringing the message is very important. This is not necessarily because the fellow preaching is a sinner, but rather that sometimes, preachers say things based on their emotions. Pastors are human too, you know. For example, In our Bible reading for today, David told Nathan that he wanted to build a house for God and Nathan said God was with him.

And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee. 2 Samuel 7:3

Nathan was excited at the thought of a temple for his God. He also assumed that God would be excited about the idea· too, so to him, God was definitely in support of David. Later on, God told him, “Nathan, I am not in support of David’s idea to build a house for Me as you told him”. Thank God that Nathan was humble enough to go back to tell David that he was wrong, and then he relayed the real message from God to him.

Dear child of God, please always ensure that you are relaying the correct message from God to the people, and not just what you feel is correct. Also, because you are human, if it so happens that you say something that is not correct and God corrects you later, please don’t hesitate to tell the people the correct thing.

Some other times, the message is coming from God but may be polluted by the human nature or spirit. No matter how pure the water may be, the vessel has something with the final product. This is why we children of God must ensure that we are led by the Holy Spirit at all times. No passing of a message in the flesh is allowed a tall. No matter our opinion on an issue, If God gives you a related message, deliver it exactly as relayed by God.

Don’t let your emotions, whether anger or excitement influence how you pass on a message from God. Being used by God is a privilege that should never be taken with levity.

If you are not yet being used by God, however, ask yourself if you have yielded completely to Him. Purify yourself with the blood of Jesus and you will become fit for the Master’s use.

Action Point :

Please pray for me as I marked another birthday anniversary today, that the Lord will do greater things than ever before through me, for his Glory in the mighty Name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ACTS 7-8

AUTHOR : Pastor E . A ADEBOYE

HYMN : Jesus My Lord, My God, My All..

1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling place
pour down the riches of thy grace.

Refrain:
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;
O make me love thee more and more.

2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy name? [Refrain]

3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought! [Refrain]

4 Jesus, of thee shall be my song;
to thee my heart and soul belong;
all that I have or am is thine,
and thou, blest Savior, thou art mine. [Refrain]

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MEMORISE:

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

READ: 2 Timothy 2:19-21

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

MESSAGE:

There was this young lady at the University of Lagos who had been praying, “God use me, use me for Your glory. Lord use me, I want to be able to heal the sick, to cast out demons. I want to be used by You, Lord”. She kept praying this prayer for so long, but God kept quiet. One day, she needed to use the toilet and at that time, for one reason or the other, there was water shortage on the campus, so all the toilets were dirty. She peeped into the first toilet and quickly shut the door as soon as she opened it. The second one was worse. Finally, she realized that she couldn’t use any of the toilets, so she left the place and then God spoke to her. “My daughter”. “Yes Lord” she replied. “I thought you wanted to use the toilet” He said. ”Yes Lord, but it is too dirty”. Then God said, “I also want to use you, but you are too dirty”.

God does not use dirty vessels. If you want God to use you, then you must first purge yourself clean. He said in Isaiah 59:2:

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

He cannot stand sin at all. Sin irritates Him, so how do you expect Him to use you if you are still committing sin?

Another reason He cannot use a dirty vessel is that whoever He uses becomes His representative and a model for other people to follow’. Naturally, the moment people see someone working miracles in the name of Jesus, they tend to follow him or her and even copy his or her lifestyle. If God uses a sinner, what message is He passing to the world isn’t He then saying that it is okay to sin? God forbid. For this reason, when God is looking for someone to use, He will first take the fellow through a series of tests and training just to ensure that the person is strong and equipped enough to withstand temptations and sin when He eventually starts using him or her.

Those who are really serious about God using them have to always subdue the flesh. They learn to walk in the Spirit because if they live by the flesh they will sin. They fast often, they stay away from bad company and media content that could pollute their minds. They study the word regularly because they want to know God more. Daniel 11:32 says it is those who know their God that will be strong and do exploits.

KEY POINT:

Are you really serious about wanting to be used by God? Show Him by your lifestyle.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 4-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 24: Take My Life, And Let It Be.

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

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

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

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

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

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MEMORISE:

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. Matthew 15:26

READ: Isaiah 59:1-2

1. Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

MESSAGE:

Many people see God as a magician. They come to Him only when they need to see a ‘magic trick’; though they say what they want is a miracle. Such people want to live anyhow they like, yet have God perform miracles for them whenever they need it. I laugh when I encounter such people.

Jesus said that God is our Father and I know He prefers to be addressed as such. If you don’t believe me, read Matthew 6:9. He taught His disciples to pray saying “Our Father”. God wants man to fellowship with Him for who He is and not just for the miracles they can get from Him. Think about it, if God created man with the sole purpose of seeking Him for miracles, then the Garden of Eden would not have had everything man needed to survive.

If you don’t have a relationship with God and you don’t fellowship with Him regularly, then He is not your Father. His miracles are for His children only, so don’t bother coming to Him for miracles.

The funny thing is that when sinners come to God just for miracles, they question His power when they don’t get it. The problem however is with them and not God. The Bible says:
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” Psalm 66:18

Years ago, a woman was told that I have a special anointing for making the barren fruitful, so she attended one of our Conventions. In those days, we were not so many so I could lay hands on everybody with ease. When she came, I laid hands on her and she fell under the anointing. One year later, she returned complaining that in spite of my prayers, she was still barren. I was going to pray for her again when the Lord said, “Ask her how many boyfriends she has” If I didn’t know the voice of God, it would have been difficult to ask because she was a rich and powerful woman. I mustered some courage and said “Errm… how many boyfriends do you have Ma?” “Six” she answered. I then said “You have a husband and you also have six boyfriends. How then can you expect the Holy One of Israel to give you a child?”

My Father’s miracles are only for His children. Are you His child?

KEY POINT:

To qualify for a miracle, you must live a holy life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: 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?

o 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,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

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MEMORISE:

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Habakkuk 2:15

READ: Genesis 19:31-38

31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

MESSAGE:

“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” Habakkuk2:15

Not only is it sinful to drink alcohol, it is also sinful to offer it to others. I used to think it was alright to give alcohol to other people to drink as long as I was not drinking it until my Father-in-the-Lord preached that It was wrong and he backed it up with the Bible passage above.

The day I heard that message, I got rid of all the alcoholic drinks I kept at home for entertaining visitors because I didn’t want a curse on my head. In those days, I had friends who were sailors, and whenever they travelled, they brought me all kinds of alcoholic drinks. Some of my other friends knew this and always visited whenever they wanted a drink. Whenever they arrived, they would say “We can’t pass the house of the king without saying hello to him”. Little did I know that I was the ‘king’ of alcohol. I thank God that I am now well known for soul winning and holiness.

Habakkuk 2:15 says if a person knows the dangers of alcohol and avoids it, but still gives it to others, then woe unto that person. As such, when you are organizing a party and some people are suggesting that you serve alcohol even though you don’t drink, tell them that you don’t want any curse on yourself.

If you truly love your neighbors and relatives, you would be persuading them to stop taking alcohol, not offering it to them. The Bible says:

“Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.” Proverbs31:6

Are your relatives and friends ready to perish? Do you want to be a tool in the hand of the devil to make anyone perish? If your answer is ‘no’ then you shouldn’t offer anyone alcohol.

When Lot’s daughters offered their father alcohol, they thought they were doing him good, but their ill -conceived decision later on created enemies for Israel (Genesis 19:37-38).

KEY POINT:

Offering alcohol to people will bring a curse upon you and ultimately lead to their destruction.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN:O LORD OUR Help IN AGES PAST

1. O Lord, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home;

2. under the shadow of your throne, your saints have dwelt secure. Sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood, or earth received its frame, from everlasting you are God,
to endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages in your sight, are like an evening gone, short as the watch that ends the night, before the rising sun.

5. The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares, Are carried downward by your flood, And lost in following years.

6. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, soon bears us all away. We fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the op’ning day.

7.O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, O be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home.

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MEMORISE:
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Proverbs 31:6

READ: Proverbs 31:4-6

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

MESSAGE:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Proverbs 20:1
The Bible says it is only fools who take alcohol. Alcohol makes a fool of anyone who consumes it, so much that, the drunkard standing on solid ground can begin to think he is sleeping in the middle of the sea. He would think he is lying on a bed. Imagine such mockery.

” Oh, I just want to take a little; I can’t get drunk. I know how to control myself.” No one starts drinking with the intention of misbehaving and acting foolish. It starts with looking at the drink and desiring it. The moment you start desiring it, you are already treading close to the trap of the devil and you will soon fall if you don’t take your eyes and mind off it. If you know that you struggle with taking alcohol, why would you go for a meeting in a bar? You are only tempting yourself. If you want to stop drinking, then you have to overcome the fear of losing the friends who drink with you.

When I met Christ and stopped drinking, I lost friends because whenever they visited me, I offered them soft drinks instead of the assorted alcoholic beverages we used to drink. I lost friends, but God replaced them with many brothers and sisters in Him.

Proverbs 31:4 says:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:”

In other words, the one who drinks cannot make clear decisions. If a person cannot make good decisions, how then would such a person excel in life? How would he or she become great and fulfil destiny? If you want to achieve greatness in life and have all your dreams come true, you have to let go of alcohol.

How do you stop taking alcohol? Stop looking at it. Don’t look at the drink or it’s container at all. Don’t watch the adverts, don’t spend time around people who drink or talk about alcohol.

“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Proverbs 23: 31-32

Abstain from alcohol, it ruins destinies.

KEY POINT:
Don’t drink any form of alcohol and If you know anyone who does, show them the message for today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 11-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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