Devotionals

MEMORISE: Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

BIBLE TEXT: Psalm 34:1-11 (KJV)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lordshall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

MESSAGE

Fresh Christians are always joyful in the house of God.
When you see a fresh Christian during praise and worship, the fellow will be singing and dancing with joy, unlike some so called big men of God who have now become so familiar with the Lord that they can’t dance for Him anymore.
Many years ago, while waving my tambourine and dancing for my Maker during the praise and worship session at a Pastors’ meeting, a big man of God tapped me and said, “Look at you, a whole General Overseer, dancing like that”.
I told him I would never stop dancing for the One who made me the General Overseer of RCCG. David, with all his majesty, never outgrew dancing for God.
In fact, 2 Samuel 6:14 says he danced with all his might. What was the result? God kept lifting him steadily.
He went from becoming king of Jerusalem to king of Israel and kept progressing until he became the father of the King of kings.
Even the key of God that opens and none can shut is called the key of David.
Fresh Christians never outgrow praising God even after several years of surrendering their lives to Christ.

However, people who see themselves as too big to dance for God because they think they are no longer new in the faith have allowed themselves to become stale Christians.
Fresh Christians submit to the authority God has placed over them. You will always hear them say,
“My Pastor said…”, and the blessings of obedience always follow them (2 Chronicles 20:20). Many years ago, my Father-in-the-Lord told all the workers in the Church to empty their bank accounts and bring the money to Church.
The next Sunday, when he was meeting with us again, he said the need had been met, then he asked, “How many of you actually obeyed the instruction? Only my wife and I raised our hands. As far as we were concerned, it was God saying it, so we obeyed.
The other people who had been in the Church long before us however did not obey. In return, God raised us to become the leaders of the Church.
You must never become so familiar with men of God that you begin to disobey and disrespect them. That is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but rather, of spiritual staleness and death.

KEY POINT
A fresh Christian never outgrows praising God and obeying Him at all times.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Mark 12-13

AUTHOR: Pastor E . A ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;�to his feet your tribute bring.�Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,�evermore his praises sing.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor�to his people in distress.�Praise him, still the same as ever,�slow to chide, and swift to bless.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;�well our feeble frame he knows.�In his hand he gently bears us,�rescues us from all our foes.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;�you behold him face to face.�Sun and moon, bow down before him,�dwellers all in time and space.�Alleluia, alleluia!�Praise with us the God of grace!

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MEMORISE: In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

READ: Revelation 21:1 -27

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

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

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

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

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

MESSAGE

There are great and beautiful cities in the world. There are cities where the streets are all clean, there are well kept parks, the taxis are luxurious cars and so on. However, as beautiful, organized and perfect as these cities may appear, there is one that makes them all look greatly underdeveloped in comparison.

In this city, the streets are paved with the purest kind of gold you can imagine (Revelation 21:21). The gold trinkets and accessories that people wear and show off in this world are all of low quality compared to the one we will be walking on in that city. Clearly, this city is one where there will be absolutely no poverty. In this city, all struggles will be over. The government of this city is so efficient that they ensure that nobody lacks anything; in fact, the poorest fellow will be living in a mansion. Our memory verse today makes this abundantly clear. That great city is one of great wealth and privilege, where one would not want for any good thing.

Not only does the government cater to the material needs of every citizen of this city, it also provides for their emotional needs.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4

This is one city l will give anything to relocate to. How can one become a citizen? Revelation 21:27 tells us:

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

To ensure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, you must surrender all to Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, then commit to living holy for the rest of your life.

REFLECTION

Is your name written in the Book of Life of the Lamb of God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is
your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear;
now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, above
all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings,
and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all
that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who will
prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy
shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all
that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath,
come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound
from his people again;
gladly forever adore him

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MEMORISE: But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalms 3:3

READ: 1 Samuel 2:7 -9

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

MESSAGE

Jesus is The Way upward. He said in John 12:32: “And, if l be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ Jesus is always drawing people upward. Believe me honestly, the only person who can truly promote you is Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe me, read Psalm 75:6-7:

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

God is the promoter. If man lifts you, man will bring you down. In any case, man is limited in many ways. A man may want to lift you with his position, but what if he gets fired before he fulfills his promise? Who even told you that the fellow would be alive by the time you need his help? The only One who can guarantee your upward movement is God. That is why He is the only real way upward.

When l was to turn 40 years old, l had a vision where God showed me two graphs. In mathemathics, we call them parabolas. One was a heads-up parabola, and the other was a head-down parabola. At the turning point of each of these parabolas was written 40, l knew clearly that this was referring to my 40th birthday. The Lord then asked me, “Which of these graphs do you prefer? I chose the head-down parabola because it meant that at 40 years old, l would be at my lowest point and from there on, it would be upward movement as opposed to the other graph, which implied that l was at my highest point at 40. The Lord then said that if l wanted Him to keep promoting me, l had to let go of all my big titles and simply be addressed as ‘Pastor’. True to His word, since then, l have been going upwards.

Humility is the key for anyone who wants Jesus to lift him or her higher. The Bible says:

Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

If you want God to promote you beyond your peers, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and emulate His humility.

KEY POINT

Jesus is the way upward, but He only lift the humble.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 23-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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MEMORISE: John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

READ: John 8:32 -36

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

MESSAGE

Someone may want to ask the Lord Jesus Christ, “Everybody calls You one name or the other; some say teacher, some say prophet. What would You love to be called?” In today memory verse, He said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. These are three mighty names, but for the next few days, we will be looking at Jesus as ‘The Way.

Today, we will consider Jesus as the way to freedom. John 8:32 says: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In John 8:36, the Bible says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When we talk about freedom, there are some people who think they are free but are not. Many influential people have problems that money cannot solve – problems completely beyond the power of science. However, there is no problem beyond the power of Jesus Christ. He is the way to freedom. There was a man in Mark 5:1-15 who was controlled by a legion of demons. Just one word from The Way, and all the demons left him.

There was a woman who had this peculiar condition that caused electrical currents to pass through her whenever any electronic appliance around her was switched on. If you switched on the electric iron, she would become hot while the iron remained cold. If you switched on the fan, the woman would start rotating. Once, when she wanted to go to the hospital in a van, as soon as the driver started the engine, the current flowed from the battery, picked her up and threw her out of the vehicle. Due to this strange condition, electricity supply had to be cut off from her house.

I went to see this woman and told her l knew someone who could set her free. She immediately gave her life to Jesus, we prayed a simple prayer and when we turned on the fan, it rotated without affecting her in any way. She was set free by The Way.

The only way to obtain freedom is by surrendering your life completely to The Way.

KEY POINT

Jesus is the way to true freedom

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 14-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

CHORUS
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

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MEMORISE: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Corinthians 13:5

READ: Genesis 3:8 -9

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

MESSAGE

I am convinced that the question God asked Adam in our Bible reading is still very relevant today. Beloved, if God asks you that question today, what would be your sincere response?

To answer the question above sincerely, you must first ask yourself another question: “Where was I yesterday?” In this case, yesterday could be last week, last year or when you first got born again. After answering this question sincerely, you can then proceed to answer the question, “Where are you now?”

From the day of birth, we all begin a return journey to where we are from (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7). That is why, no matter how young you are, you are growing older day by day. You should therefore ask yourself regularly, “How far have l gone in fulfilling the purpose of my creation and salvation?”

Let us consider Samson. He used to be a terror to the enemies but ended up grinding corn in their prison. You should ask yourself, Am l going on to greater heights, bearing fruits that abide? Am l increasing spiritually or decreasing? Am l,spending more time in God’s presence than l used to or is the reverse the case? Am l winning more souls into the kingdom than l used to?”

You should look at yourself. “Am l increasing financially or decreasing? If there is a decrease, could it be that you have been eating your seed? Or could it be that you are sowing sparingly (2 Corinthians 9:6)? Could it be that because you have been defaulting in your tithe and offerings, you are working under a divine curse (Malachi 3:8-9)

Beloved, as a child of God. It is important to ask yourself these questions from time to time. If you discover that you are not experiencing growth in any area of your life, please consider your life, please consider your ways (Haggai1:5-7). Ask the Holy Spirit to examine you and show you where you might have gotten it wrong. Ask Him for what to do to bring about a positive turnaround in your life.

I pray you will fulfill God’s purpose for your life, in Jesus name.

REFLECTION

Are you where you are suppose to be?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 10-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: 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 name of Jesus, 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 anthem 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. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdom’s rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus, constant will remain:
Gates of hell can never ‘gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices, in the triumph song:
Glory, praise and honour, unto Christ the King;
This, through countless ages, men and angels sing.

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MEMORISE: The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psalm 34:15

READ: Psalms 34:7 -22

7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

MESSAGE

Another major benefit of righteousness is that when evil is about to come for you, God takes you out of its way and substitutes you with an unbeliever. This is clearly stated in Proverbs 11:8: “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.”

This is called the Law of Substitution. When trouble wants to swallow the righteous, God will stop it and may put a substitute in his or her stead. There are many instances like this in Scripture. The people who threw Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego into the fire are the ones who died instead of the Hebrew boys who were saved by the Lord, because the furnace had to be fed (Daniel 3). The people who threw Daniel into the den of lions were also the ones the lions ate (Daniel 6).

Many years ago, a lady came to me for prayers. She said she had a dream that her husband, who was on a trip would be brought back in a casket. I asked her if her husband was born again, and she said yes. We prayed about the dream and she left. After some time, l saw an obituary in the newspaper, and the fellow there had the same surname as this sister. The following Sunday in Church, l asked her about the obituary wondering if it was her husband. She responded saying it was not her husband, but a relative of his. Death was coming for a believer, God revealed it to us so we could pray and when we did, He delivered the righteous from death, while an unbeliever became the substitute. There is no life insurance policy as good as living holy.

When you live a righteous life, you go through life with boldness, knowing that tomorrow will be alright. The Bible says in Proverbs 28:1 ” The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion”.

If you believe that the policemen around you carrying revolver are your protectors, wait until they come across PEOLPE carrying AK47s, then you will discover that you are on your own. The righteous are as bold as a lion because they know that they have God on their side. I want to challenge you to make a commitment today. I want you to go to the Almighty God and tell Him you are committing to a life of righteousness.

PRAYER POINT

Father, I am committing to You to be pure and holy from now on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 6-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1. Take my life and let it
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moment and my days
Let them flow ceaseless 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 sliver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall 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: Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3:10

READ: Revelation 22:11 -12

11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

MESSAGE

Today’s memory verse is probably one of the most loved verses in the Bible. It assures us Christians that our tomorrow will be all right. One young fellow came to me some time ago and said he had heard that l was a prophet of God. I said, “Well, l am actually a Pastor, but l do hear from God once in a while”. He said, “No, l was told that whatever you prophesy comes to pass”. I said, “God has been faithful. How can l help you?” He responded, saying “Can you tell me my future?” I asked, “Are you born again?” HE said, “No”. I told him, ” Your future will be terrible”. He said, “But how do you know; you don’t even know my name. You haven’t even prayed”. I responded, “l don’t have to,pray. It is written in Isaiah 3:11, “Woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him, and the word of God is forever settled”. He then asked, “What if l had said l was born again?”. I told him, “Then l would have said your future will be great, according to Isaiah 3:10. If you have given your life to Christ, then you can say confidently, “My tomorrow will be all right”.

Believe it or not, your walk with God will determine your future. If you do some evil things now and think you have gotten away with them, you are deceiving yourself. Unless you repent, ask God for forgiveness and begin to live holy, you would still reap the consequences of your sins (Proverbs 6:12-15)

When the Bible says in Galatians 6:7 that God is not mocked and that whatsoever a man sows, shall he reap, it is no joke. Many people are suffering rejection, poverty, near-success syndromes, diseases and other forms of trauma today because of the unrighteous things they did in the past. Many go from Church to Church seeking deliverance, whereas their deliverance is in the, repenting and making restitution. Some people are however, enjoying favour and good things because they have been living holy by the grace of God.

Your eternity is determined by the way you live while on earth, Jesus Christ is calling on you to surrender all to Him and live a righteous life in Him so that it indeed will be well with you.

KEY POINT

Your future is dependent on your lifestyle now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HY MN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

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MMEMORISE: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Psalm 122:6

READ: Psalms 122:1 -9

1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

MESSAGE

PRAYERS

1. Father, thank You for my nation. Thank You for all You have done for us, for all You are currently doing and all You will still do. Thank You Lord.

2. Father, please visit my nation specially and give us a special miracle that can only come from You.

3. Father, please deliver my nation from leaders, terrorists and everyone working against the good of our land.

4. Father, by Your mercies, cancel every curse and all demonic operations in my nation, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please protect my nation from every external attack and grant us victory on all sides, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please make a way for my nation to become very great, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please pour down Your blessings upon my nation. Lord, make every barren sector in my nation fruitful, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please raise great and righteous leaders in my nation. Please, raise leaders that will do Your will, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please put an end to every form of evil in my nation. Lord, let Your righteousness reign in my nation, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please give my nation a new beginning of glory, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please let there be a great revival in my nation. Lord, raise evangelists and missionaries that will win my nation completely for You, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for your nation and other nations of the world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Malachi 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

1. “There shall be showers of blessing”
This is the promise of love;
There shall be season refreshing
Send from a savior above

Chorus:
Showers of blessing
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling
But for the showers we plead.

2. “There shall be showers of blessing”
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys;
Sound of abundance of rain.

3. “There shall be showers of blessing”
Send them upon us Oh Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come now and honour Thy Word.

4. “There shall be showers of blessing”
Oh, that today thy might fall,
Now as to God we are Confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5. “There shall be showers of blessing”
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be season refreshing,
If we let God have his way.

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MEMORISE:

READ: Mark 4:35 -41

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE

In our Bible reading, Jesus’ disciples woke Him up and He stilled the storm. Have you imagined what would have happened had He not been in the boat? Life is full of storms, and except God helps you, such storms can drown you.

No matter how smart you are, there is one storm you cannot escape: the storm of death. Don’t be deceived, death will make anyone who isn’t in Christ fearful. David could say, “Though l walk through the valley of the shadow of death, l will fear no evil for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4) because he was on the Lord’s side. If the Lord is not with you in your boat and the storm comes, who will you call upon?

Storms can come suddenly, without notice. Once while on a plane to London, there was a particular man who had a golden walking stick. From time to time, he would get up and show off his golden walking stick as he walked to and from the bathroom. Suddenly, the captain announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a little problem as we currently cannot land the plane”. The man with the golden walking stick now really needed to go to the bathroom; but as he stood up to go, the hostess asked him to remain seated. Obviously terrified, he refused to remain in his seat and for a moment I too was afraid. I then said to my Daddy, “But Lord, You didn’t tell me this is the end”. He responded saying, “No it’s not the end. I want to talk to you, and l know that as soon as you land you will be kept busy, but we need to talk”. As soon as l hears His voice, His peace came to me. After the Lord finished talking to me, the plane landed without any problem. Had l not already been His child that day, l would not have had any right to call upon Him in the storm and l would have terrified like just any other person.

If He is not in your boat, there would be nobody to call upon for deliverance in the midst of a storm. It is only when you have Him in your boat that you would be able to say, “Christ in me the hope of glory” (Colossians,1:27).

REFLECTION

Is Jesus in your life?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zechariah 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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MEMORISE: Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: Proverbs 3:9

READ: 1 Kings 17:7 -16

7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

MESSAGE

One of the things l have discover about God in my little walk with Him is that He wants to be your priority at all times. He said in Matthew 6:33 that you should seek His kingdom and righteousness first. In Psalm 10:4, the Bivle describes those who do not seek God and have Him in their thoughts as proud. In Deuteronomy 26:2, God said that your very first harvest should be given to Him. He wants to be your number one or nothing at all to you. In fact, one of His names is ‘Jealous’ (Exodus 34:14).

Now, when God sees that you always put Him first and you have honoured Him, then He will begin to work out a befitting reward for you. In Proverbs 3:9-10, the Bible says: “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:: “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” In our Bible reading for today, Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to prepare his meal first before making that of herself and her son. Some other women would have said “Popher, did you not hear that there is only one meal left to prepare for me and my son”. Instead of saying that, she honoured God in the life of the Prophet in that difficult situation and in return, she never lacked food again.  While the entire nation was starving, she had food in abundance. That is what happens when you put God first.

I was in Ilesha, holding a crusade many years ago when my Professor took my PhD thesis to the external examiner. Normally they post it, but he bought a ticket and took it. If you ask all those who got their PhDs back then, they will tell you that it usually takes months  for external examiners to invite PhD candidates for an oral examination. While l was busy in Ilesha doing the will of God, my Professor took my thesis to the external examiner and said, “l am not going back until you read this”. After the external examiner read it, he said”Go and give the boy his PhD”. If you do the will of God first, He will take care of all your needs. When you honour Him and put Him first in all you do, what you will get in return will be a multiplication of what you sacrificed for Him.

KEY POINT

Always put God first.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Zephaniah 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: 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 ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless 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,

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,

Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose,

Every power 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,

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,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

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