Devotionals

MEMORISE:

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Psalm 91:7

READ: Psalm 91:1-16

1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

MESSAGE:

When the RCCG was to be established in Israel, a diplomat there warned “They will never register any Pentecostal church. Not only is RCCG Pentecostal, it is a Nigerian church, so just forget it.” I insisted” No sir, we will not forget it. Just submit our application and then let’s leave the rest to God.”

For courtesy’s sake, he took the letter and submitted it. To God’s glory, a few weeks later, we got our proof of registration. Many years later, we needed permission from the government for a project. We were told we could not be permitted since we were Pentecostal Church, and not registered. They were surprised when we went back with our proof of registration. These only happened because our case is different.

In 1974, a little while after I had submitted my PhD thesis at the University of Lagos, I went on a Crusade at Ilesha and Ifewara while waiting to be called for the compulsory oral exam. While I was there, the Head of my Department gave my thesis to the External Examiner. Ordinarily, he should have posted it, but he took it in person, insisting on waiting until the Examiner concluded his assessment. As a result, the Examiner was compelled to read my thesis promptly. When he was done, my HOD asked “When is the date for the exam?” to which he replied “I have no questions; give him his Ph.D.” In the history of the world, I may be the only one with a Ph.D who did not do an oral exam. Only because my case is different.

From today, doors will open everywhere you turn. While others may be cast down, you shall experience a lifting. Nothing will be impossible for you. From today, anywhere you go, anything you touch or intend to do shall be treated as different in a positive way by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Your case is different because the Lord has chosen you. 1 Peter 2:9 says:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

PRAYER POINT:

Father, make me Your special child so that in everything I do, my case will be different positively, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Timothy 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: I AM THINE OH 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.

o Refrain:
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. Oh, 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 cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

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MEMORISE:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21

READ: Judge 15:14-19

14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.

18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

MESSAGE:

One day, I asked God why He punished king Saul so much while David who committed more sins was called the man after His heart. He responded by telling me to read 2 Samuel 6:14:

“And David danced before the Lord with all his might…”

Then He asked me to look for a place where Saul danced for Him. I searched and couldn’t find. I further decided to check where he said thank you to God somehow, but I didn’t find any. Not even when God raised him to be king. It was clear then that Saul’s downfall was majorly due to ingratitude.

Another person who failed due to ingratitude is Samson. All the time that the Bible records that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he did great exploits, not once did he say, “Thank you Lord”. In fact, probably the most glaring of such incidents was in Judges 15:17-18:
“And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi. And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”

Just after exploits so great that even he acknowledged they were from God, instead of giving thanks, all he did was complain. Ingratitude is a pointer to pride. Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before a fall. Ungrateful people are proud and are heading for a fall. When you see a person who is always grateful, you see humility in the fellow and since God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5), the grace of God will always take the person higher. Whatever chance you get, always remain grateful to God. Be grateful for even the little things that others take for granted; be grateful that you can sleep and wake the next day, that you can walk, that you can talk, that you can wear your clothes by yourself, that you can eat, that you can use the bathroom, that you can still, have a sound mind. In everything and for everything, give thanks for this is the will of God (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I am grateful for all that You are doing for me; please Lord, help me never to be ungrateful.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrews 11-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 21: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD.

1. Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

2. Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!

3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven—
The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

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MEMORISE:
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Isaiah 29:13

READ: 1 Chronicles 16:23-31

23 Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation.

24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

25 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

28 Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The Lord reigneth.

MESSAGE:

Worship- true worship is in the absolute submission of the heart to the One being worshipped and adored. You can pretend to be in awe of any human being and they would be deceived, but God searches the intentions of our heart, and that is why He knows those who truly worship Him. John 4:24 says:
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

Search your heart: are you a true worshipper? If you claim to be a worshipper and you still commit sin, you need to check your claim again. A true worshipper of God does not take with levity anything that concerns Him. David is a very good example of a true worshipper. He wrote many psalms praising God and talking about how much He loved God statutes. His life style and how He revered God showed that he truly esteemed Him greatly. He had a burden to build a temple for God and even though He told him not to, David didn’t just fold his hands; he provided all that would be needed to build it. That is clearly not eye service. David was a man after God’s own heart, because he practiced heartfelt worship.

If you’re not as committed to your tasks in Church when your Pastor is not around as you are when he is, you are not a true worshipper. If you worship God because you are expecting something in return, you are not amongst the true worshippers. God rejects heartless worship (Amos 5:21-24). Two people can come with similar offerings to Him and He will reject one and accept the other just like the case of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-15).

Are you a true worshipper?

KEY POINT:

Worship is a thing of the heart; actions merely express it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrews 7-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND.

1 Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the Lord for he is kind:
for his mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

2 Let us sound his name abroad,
for of gods he is the God:
for his mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

3 He with all-commanding might
filled the new-made world with light:
for his mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

4 All things living he doth feed;
his full hand supplies their need:
for his mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.

5 Let us then, with glad-some mind,
praise the Lord for he is kind:
for his mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure

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MEMORISE:

He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: Proverbs 24:24

READ: Proverbs 24:23-26

23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

MESSAGE:

Many times, we Pastors find ourselves in situations where we are faced with either speaking the truth or telling a lie to flatter someone who is influential or from whom we can get a lot of benefits. At such times, we must ensure that we do not lie. Our God has never been in support of respecting people to the extent of endorsing their wrongdoings. It does not matter who the fellow is or how much you can gain from them, never lie to get their favor. When God told Prophet Jeremiah that He would be sending him to nations, he knew that meant that he would be confronting some really influential people, so he responded in Jeremiah 1:6:
“Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”

And God reassured him in Jeremiah 1:7-8 thus:
“…and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
This message is still relevant today: fear not, God is with you to deliver you. The elders have a saying that it is not the one who we are sent to that we must fear, but the one who sent us.

Now, when God has sent you to correct an influential person, you need to do it with wisdom. John the Baptist confronted Herod and lost his head, but Nathan confronted David and the king repented, what is the difference between the way the two prophets carried out their assignment? John the Baptist was straight and direct with Herod. The Bible says in Mark 6:18:
“For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.”

Nathan, in his own case, decided to tell the king a fictional story about someone else who did something similar to what David had done, so he got David to judge the case by himself and when David acknowledged the fellow’s sin, Nathan turned it around and said “Sir, that fellow is actually you”. Thereafter, he went on to deliver the message God had sent him to deliver (2 Samuel 12:1-14). If Nathan had come straight to tell the king that the sword would never depart from his house, that God would raise his own family members to go against him and so on, he may have lost his head too.

KEY POINT:

Make sure you delivered message that God has sent you with, but ask Him for the wisdom with which to present it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrews 1-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 26: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS.

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey:
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer,
Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.

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MEMORISE:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Ephesians 2:8

READ: Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

MESSAGE:
Many of our beloved ‘grace’ preachers have often misinterpreted today’s Bible reading to mean that since being saved is not by works but grace, you can do whatever you like and still maintain your salvation.

Grace means unmerited favor. That means, you did not do anything to be amongst those who God decided to save. John 6:44 says “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 15:16 says “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you” It is only by grace that we had an encounter that brought us into a relationship with Christ.

The passage then goes on to say that we are “saved through faith”. So, we are not only saved by grace we are also saved through faith. This means that even if the grace is available for you to be saved, salvation can only occur through your faith. Now faith is the belief in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Romans 10:9 says:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

So, no faith, no salvation. The Bible says in James 2:18-20:
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

You cannot claim to have faith in Christ finished work on the cross and still be acting againt His word. Without faith, even with the availability of grace, you can neither be saved nor please God (Galatians 6:7).
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

KEY POINT:

Grace does not give you the liberty to sin, rather, it gives you the ability to live above it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Peter 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7

READ: 3 John 1:5-7

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;

6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

MESSAGE:

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

As we pray for and bless the Shepherds around us with gifts, let us not forget those in hostile and war-torn communities too.

It is not God’s will for missionaries to be abandoned while wealthy Christians enjoyed His blessings in the urban centers. Usually, these gospel crusaders risk their lives, having left their cities and families to do God’s work in places most of us would not consider going to. This is why we must support them with both our prayers and resources.

You can commit a certain percentage of your monthly income to support a missionary group. What you consider negligible could go a long way to ease their burden. A constant supply of food and amenities for their communities would make their audience more receptive, while also giving them some influence even amongst the rulers of the land.

When Christians missionaries first arrived Nigeria, their work was easy because as they came with Bibles, they also brought education for the children and medicines for the sick. If they hadn’t succeeded, perhaps many more of us would have been involved in rituals today.

Modern Christians have not supported mission trips as much as in the past, thus, allowing the devil spread his message of perversion like wildfire.

Those who would have loved to be missionaries hold back because of the fear that no one would remember them. Some have left the mission field, not for their sakes, but for their children’s. A little help could reverse the trend. You may not be able to go to the field but you can also win souls to God with your resources and prayers. Don’t miss this opportunity. Support missionaries today.

KEY POINT:

If you cannot go on mission trips, at least support those who do.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Titus 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: HOLD THE FORT.

1. Ho, my comrades, see the signal, waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.

o Refrain:
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.”

2. See the mighty host advancing, Satan leading on;
Mighty ones around us falling, courage almost gone!

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

4. Fierce and long the battle rages, but our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander, cheer, my comrades, cheer!

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BIBLE PASSAGE: Hebrews 9:14-22*
[14]How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
[15]And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
[16]For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
[17]For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
[18]Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
[19]For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
[20]Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
[21]Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
[22]And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

MEMORY: “Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.” Leviticus 7:26.

LESSON INTRODUCTION: Having understood that life resides in the blood with biblical evidences (Lev.17:11) and that every spiritual covenant is sealed with the blood (Heb.9:18). Also, it should be noted that the blood of animals shed in the Old Testament could not cleanse the sins of man once and for all whereas the blood of Jesus shed as a covenant of redemption carries so much power to save man eternally. Covenants have the power of gathering, protecting and blessing people in all circumstances of life. On the other hand, any wrong use of the principle of covenant can bring about grave consequences. In this lesson, we shall attempt to discuss the instances of wrong approaches to blood covenant, the consequences and the way out.

TEACHER’S DIARY
LESSON AIM: To teach students the kind of blood covenants that God forbids.
TEACHING OBJECTIVES: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
a. Discover some wrong approaches to blood covenants.
b. Understand the consequences of unholy blood covenants.
c. Contribute to discussion do class activities and assignment.

TEXT REVIEW: Hebrews 9:14-22.
The Bible clearly expresses the superiority and potency of the blood that Jesus Christ shed over the blood of animals, in that:
Through the eternal (ever living) Spirit (of God), Jesus offered Himself……………………………v14a
Jesus was……………………………………………..v14b
His blood has the power to…………………….v14c
For this cause Jesus is………………………….v15a
By means of His death…………………………..v15b
………………………………………………………………v15c
The potency of the blood of Jesus also lies in the fact that:
……………………………………………………………v16-17.
……………………………………………………………v18-21.
……………………………………………………………v22a.
……………………………………………………………v22b.

LESSON OUTLINES
LESSON OUTLINE 1: WRONG APPROACHES TO BLOOD COVENANT
Teacher should allow the students to share their experiences of blood covenants they have or that people do enter into and guide the class through the discussion as follows:
-The blood connects the physical and the spiritual world as well as the temporal and eternal world.
-Blood covenant is usually made when the blood of two individuals mingle.
-It could be done by cutting the palms of the individuals and then the shaking of hands to combine the blood.
-It could also be that a few drops of blood from each person is mingled in a glass of wine and then drunk by both.
-In either case, the blood is mixed, thus indicating that two lives were mixed.
-Incision (piercing or cutting of the body for ritual, protection or religious purposes) is another way of initiating an individual into a blood covenant with demons (1 Kings.18:28).
Sometimes, an animal’s blood could be shed as representative of both individuals mingling their lives together. After all, “the life is in the blood. (Lev.17:11).
Regardless of the form it takes, the Bible forbids the:
•Mixing or drinking of blood (Lev.7:26).
•Cutting of the skin and incisions which leave permanent scars as a reminder of the covenant from that time on.
The Satanic realm fully understands the power of the blood covenant and this is why as soon as a person starts to progress in the satanic order, he is introduced to blood oaths which become progressively harsher and more
prescriptive.
Hence, anyone involved in ungodly soul ties as “lovers”, illicit sexual relationships, occult blood sacrifices, suicides, homicides, abortion, etc., enters into a deal with Satan.
In this manner, people unite with demons either consciously or unconsciously (Gen.4:8-12). Every believer should avoid this kind of blood covenant at all cost.

CLASS ACTIVITY 1: Students should discuss other means by which some people enter into blood covenant.

LESSON OUTLINE 2: CONSEQUENCES OF UNHOLY BLOOD COVENANTS
1. The teacher should allow the students to discuss from experience some of the outcomes of the blood covenants stated in outline one and guide the class with the following points:
Blood covenant among humans is scripturally forbidden.
The Bible admonishes that our ‘yes’ should be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ should be ‘no’ (Matt.5:34-37).
If swearing is unscriptural (James 5:12), entering into a blood covenant is evil and can:
Open doorways to demonic afflictions.
Truncate the destiny of those involved and their descendants (2Sam.12:10-12).
2. Sexual intercourse also constitutes a blood covenant.
Since marriage is a life-long covenant, those who are yet to marry must prayerfully choose who to marry (1Cor.6:16; 2Cor.6:14).
This sharing of blood creates a special spiritual connection between souls.
Blood diseases can also be sexually transmitted from one partner to the other.
Sexual intercourse among the unmarried is a terrible sin (1Cor. 6:18).
Generational curses can be transmitted through this blood covenant (2 Sam.12:10-11).
The satanic realm is quick to exact the death penalty on their blood covenant victims (John 10:10). Such sudden death could be painted as accidents, heart attack, unclassified sicknesses, etc (2 Cor. 2:11).
There are many people that have entangled themselves through blood covenants. If you are one of them, the consequences may be deadly except you confess, renounce and cry unto God for total deliverance (John 8:32; Isa.49:24-26).

CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Students should mention other consequences of satanic blood covenants.

3. SUMMARY: There are terrible consequences for evil blood covenants.

4. CONCLUSION: Avoid entering into any form of illicit blood covenant with anyone. It is evil.

5. EVALUATION: Teachers should ask the students to mention consequences of unholy blood covenants?

6. CLOSING PRAYER: Father, let the blood of Jesus purge me from any covenant I might have entered into.

7. ASSIGNMENT: Mention five (5) practical things those involved in unholy blood covenants can do to break free.

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MEMORISE:
He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Matthew 12:30

READ: Exodus 32:22-26

22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

MESSAGE:

The Israelites had departed from God while Moses was on the Mount. They had begun to worship a golden calf which Aaron was pressured to make for them. This made Moses ask “Who is on the Lord’s side?” (Exodus 32:26)

Even in God’s service, people have varying motives.

While many may profess to be for God, their claims may not be entirely true, considering their secret lives. However, some Christians are true friends of God; in private and in the open. Even when they make mistakes, they don’t give excuses or seek to cover them up; they repent immediately. Their objective is ‘holiness unto the Lord’. Are you on the Lord’s side?

As there are two sides to a coin, so there are to the spiritual also: the good and the bad, Heaven and hell, God’s kingdom of light and Satan’s kingdom of darkness. You are either on one side or the other.

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” Joshua 5:13

Like the angel in the above passage had his sword drawn, so does everyone in the sprit realm, but who is your sword working for or against?

With every word you say and every action you take, your sword is swung, for or against God. If you conspire with people to sin instead of rebuking them, you are swinging, for or against God. If you consciously give erroneous interpretations of the Bible to fellow believers, you are clearly against God and on the side of Satan.

So many tongue-speaking ‘Christians’ are with the devil. This is dangerous. I pray for God’s mercy on such people.

Whose side are you truly on?

ACTION POINT:

Examine your heart to see if you are truly on The Lord’s side. Make amends in repentance today if you find yourself wanting.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Timothy 1-6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE.

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.
o Refrain:
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:

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15

READ: Mark 4:8-11

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

MESSAGE:

Being a part of the Kingdom of God is the ultimate achievement for any human being. It is a special thing to belong to God’s Kingdom because we become exposed to his mysteries thereby. For example, many people cannot understand or accept the mystery of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ because the eyes of their understanding have been shut.

In our memory verse today, Jesus said something very crucial about the Kingdom of God: He states that only those who are like children will inherit it. The major characteristicsof children that make them qualify for this are: love, trust and faith. Have you seen how children automatically trust and depend on their parents? This simply means that until you love, believe and have faith in God like a child, you cannot be a part of the Kingdom of God. A child depends on his/her parents for instructions and guidance. Usually, they believe and run with what their parents tell them. Most of us still adhere to certain principles we learned from our growing up.

This child-like attitude to God is what qualifies us to encounter the mystery of God’s Kingdom. Those of us who have experienced the move of God firsthand know that the mystery of the Kingdom of God is best experienced. The Bible says in 1 John 1:1:
“ 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;”

Finally, in our daily activities and pursuits, Jesus encourages us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God, with the assurance that all our earthly pursuits will be given as add-ons. There is nothing too difficult for God to do, but His priority is that you should seek His kingdom and righteousness which can only be obtained through Christ Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Let God’s priority be your priority and watch your life turn around for good.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Philippians 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN : 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:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

READ: John 14:21-24

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

MESSAGE:

God our Father, the creator of the world, always knows what is best for us. He knows how we should conduct ourselves and live a perfect life. In the beginning (after the fall of man in the garden of Eden), man became a free moral agent, doing whatever pleased him. However, because man is a spirit, he began to experience a deep spiritual yearning for his creator whom he lost connection with, due to the fall. The Bible says in Genesis 4:26 that “…then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” However, due to man’s sinful nature, they could not call upon God effectively on their own terms. To bridge this gap and help man do it right, God gave the ten commandments using the Israelites as the initial recipients. These commandments help us to know the general will of God for us daily. Jesus gave the basic summary of the commandments in Matthew 22:37-40:
“…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

According to our memory verse, the commandments of God are not grievous. However, the fallen nature of Man prompts people to do everything against God’s will now and again. Jesus said in John 14:21
“ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

The Bible verse above is a great litmus test. Do you really love God?

You cannot claim to love God if you do not have His commandments in your heart (Psalm 119:11).

You cannot claim to love God if you do not obey His commandments (John 14:15).

If we love God indeed, it will show in our obedience to His commandments which are not grievous, especially when compared to the weight and consequences of sin.

PRAYER POINT:

Lord, help me access the grace to obey Your commandments, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ephesians 1-6

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.

o Refrain:
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 or a fear, not a sigh or 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 or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed 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 favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

1. 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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