Devotionals

MEMORISE:

And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3

READ: Isaiah 45:1-6

1Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

MESSAGE

Treasures are precious objects of great value. The accumulation of such could however lead to pride (1 Timothy 6:17), greed (Luke 12:15), dishonesty (Joshua 7:21). And idolatry (Exodus 32:2-4).

Real treasures are however spiritual with eternal value, and they come from knowing and serving God. Such treasures are usually hidden and could turn out to be anything around us: it was a slave girl in Naaman’s case (2 Kings 5:2-3), a little jar of oil in the case of the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7 and David in Jesse’s case (1 Samuel 16:11). Moses was a hidden treasure reserved for the salvation of Israel. I cited all these examples of ordinary people and objects that were hidden treasures to explain that the All-Knowing God is able to make all things work together for the good of His children. Romans 8:28 says:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

In many cases, treasures are not easily identified even when in plain view. That is why it is very important to develop a good relationship with God and live at peace with our neighbors. The slave girl may not have volunteered the information that led to Naaman’s healing had she been ill-treated in that household. The widow’s neighbors may not have loaned her so many vessels if she had not maintained a good relationship with them. The divine appointment of David as king and Moses as Israel’s first spiritual leader would not have happened if they did not have a good relationship with God.

If you want God to reveal hidden treasures that would lead to great and unprecedented breakthroughs in your life, you must first accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then live in total submission and obedience to God. Only then can you be sure of accessing the hidden treasures of God and all things will begin to work in you favor.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to identify the hidden treasures in my life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

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

READ: 1 Samuel 16:18-19

18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

MESSAGE

Having established yesterday that your period of loneliness will soon be over, today, I want us to look more deeply at David’s major preoccupation when he was alone with the sheep. This major preoccupation is also what attracted the anointing that broke the yoke of loneliness in his life. 1 Samuel 16:18-19 gives a report about David while he was alone with the sheep.

“Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him. Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.”
David’s harp-playing prowess was attested to by one of King Saul’s servants who had witnessed David playing while he was alone with the sheep. The servant could attest to the fact that God was with David, so in the reality he was never lonely. When I used to drive myself around, many times I would praise God to such an extent that His presence would fill the car and I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on driving. I would have to park the car on the road side for a bit. Now, I spend hours walking alone in the middle of the night, praising God. Sometimes, I go into the bush because I don’t want any disturbance, but never do I feel alone in those times. Today, I have so many people around me that it would be difficult for me to be lonely in any part of the world.

God’s presence is the best company you can ever want. If you spend your lonely days praising God, doing His will and soaking yourself in His presence, soon, He will anoint and lift you out of that place of loneliness and you would become one whom the whole world would want to spend time with.

KEY POINT:
Constantly soak yourself in the presence of the Lord. Very soon, the whole world will want to be with you.

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BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 42-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John 15:14

READ: John 11:11-36
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

MESSAGE
It is a great thing to be a disciple of Christ. It is however even much better to be a disciple and friend of Jesus at the same time.

In the course of His earthly ministry, Jesus began to develop a more intimate relationship with some of His disciples and he called them friends.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:13-15

A classic example of a friend of Jesus is Lazarus. In John 11:11 Jesus said “……Our friend Lazarus sleepeth….” This level of intimacy was emphasized by John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept.”

The Lord God helped me to develop such an intimate relationship with Him that I began to see Him as my “My Daddy” and not just “Our Father”. This offended some people who wondered why I would be calling God ‘Daddy’. If God is their Father and He happens to be my Daddy, what is the problem? My prayer for you today is that the Holy spirit will assist you to develop a relationship with Him that would give you the boldness to call the Almighty God ‘Daddy’ in the mighty name of Jesus.

To be admitted into the circle of friends of Jesus, you need to fulfil only one condition as set in John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” The moment you begin to walk in obedience to the commandment of God, you have become a friend of Jesus. His commandments are not hard to obey or burdensome to live by. He also promises to give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to be obedient to Your commandments foever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Habakkuk 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Romans 12:12

READ: Matthew 5:10-12

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MESSAGE:
Abraham, despite being childless at ninety, kept his hope to be a father of many nations (Romans 4:18). However, many Christians today have lost hope in God’s promises, waiting for their physical manifestation before they believe.

If you are in the category of Christians described above, ask God today for grace to remain hopeful in His promises for your life.

Abraham for example enjoyed this grace (Romans 4:16) even before Jesus was born and our savior confirmed this when He said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). The grace was so sufficient that he hoped against all odds and developed faith that earned him friendship with the Almighty God.

Hope is a key element in describing faith (Hebrews 11:1) without which no man can please God (Hebrews 11:6). Hope ensures that we obey His command to always rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16) even in the midst of tribulations.

Hope is the assurance that what we desire will come to pass (Romans 8:24). Today’s memory verse also lets us know that through hope, we can develop patience and strength especially in tribulation. It is saddening however, that some Christians lose hope and backslides in the face of trials. This ought not to be.

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus talks about rejoicing as a means of endurance, as well as the blessings attached to enduring persecution. James 1:12 also says:
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Hope also helps one to tarry for results in the place of prayer. Someone who lacks hope wont pray long before searching for an alternative.

Abraham had faith in God and it was imputed to him for righteousness (Romans 4:17-22). Beloved, are you losing hope already? Please do not, because there is glory ahead of you. Be patient so you can obtain (Colossians 1:27).

ACTION POINT:
Take time to give God intense worship even when it seems difficult to do so. Hope shall rise for your comfort.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 38-40. Psalm 74, 79

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.

1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made Him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.

o Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord
On earth and in Heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word—
The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

3. What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail?
God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
Let gratefulness give all a voice,
The loud hallelujahs prolong!

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MEMORISE:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

READ: Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

MESSAGE:

We learnt from wise King Solomon that there is a time for every purpose under heaven and this of course includes every human being.

Everyone wants to be greatly successful, but there is a process to undergo before the success comes. We must give consideration to the unique seasons we are in as individuals at every point in time.

Many times, people get lucky and get a taste of the success they are pursuing before the time comes. David for example got a taste of being the number one citizen of Israel before he sat on the throne. After killing Goliath, the women considered him the most important man in the nation. They even sang that he was more successful than King Saul.

“ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” 1 Samuel 18:7

This short taste of success did not make David plan a coup and overthrow Saul. He knew it was not yet time, so he went back to serving Saul. Many people these days would have started their own army and call it ‘The Giant Slayers’ and the name of David would have faded away. A medical student who treats malaria successfully and goes to open a hospital will soon become the only patient there.

Go through the process necessary for success. There is a seed time and harvest time. If you eat all the seed up, when harvest time comes, there will be nothing to reap. If you are in doubt, always ask God what season of your life you are in.

Egypt would have perished during the famine if God had not revealed to Pharaoh in a dream that a season of abundance was coming and it would be followed by a season of famine (Genesis 41:25-32).

God is the controller of times and seasons; you should constantly ask Him what season of your life you’re currently in so you don’t commit errors or miss out on the prospective blessings.

PRAYER POINT:

Lord, please reveal to me what season of my life I am in so I can walk in the path You have ordained for me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 30-31.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS.

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
o Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

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

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

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

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MEMORISE:
Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

READ: Revelation 3:2-6
3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

MESSAGE

There are three possibilities with your fire. It could be burning bright, burning low or completely out. If the fire is burning bright, be careful. 1 Peter 5:8 says:

”Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

1 Corinthians 10: 12 says:

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

When fire is burning bright, demons take note of it and are watching closely. Since they cannot touch the fire, they await a time when it will burn out, so they can pounce on the fellow. Make sure you stay connected to God (John 15:5).

If the fire is burning low – you still go to Church, still look and talk like a Christian, but inside, you know you are not as close to God as you used to be, that is being lukewarm. Being lukewarm is dangerous (Revelation 3:15-16). Revelation 2:5 is a great warning:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

Cry to God for a fresh baptism of fire if you have become lukewarm.

On the other hand, if your fire Is completely out – if you have gone back to the filth of your past and are now doing those things which are completely against the word of God, know that though you have drifted far, God has not rejected you. The fact that you are still alive means He is still interested In having you back. Ezekiel 37:1-10 makes it clear that dry bones can live again. In John 21:15-19, Peter missed it by going back to being a fisherman, but Jesus came to meet him there and restored his destiny. Peter’s repentance was genuine; he wept bitterly and was restored. You too can be restored if you cry genuinely to God.

May your fire always burn bright and never go out in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help my fire burn bright always and never go down, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24

READ: Luke 11:1-13

1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

MESSAGE:

In my book the Mathematics of Answered Prayers, I explained my points using simultaneous equations, but here, we will be using simple algebra. For your prayers to be answered, you will need to apply the following algebraic equation.

F (P+ W + R + JN) = Answered Prayers

Faith (F) is the constant variable that must affect every other element of your equation before your prayers can be answered. Hebrews 11:6 says:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Without faith it is impossible to please God and of course if you displease Him, how would you expect Him to answer your prayers?

The next thing you need is to Praise Him (P). Psalm 100:4 shows that praises attract God’s attention and make Him willing to hear you. In fact, if you just praise God and don’t make any requests, He will ask you for what you want. This was the case with Solomon after he had given a thousand burnt offerings to God without making any request. God told him in a dream to ask for whatever he wanted (1 Kings 3).

Pray with reference to the word (W) of God. Before you bring a request to God, find out what His word says about it, then quote it back to Him; this is praying according to His will. James 4:3 says we ask and do not get our miracles because we ask amiss. When you ask according to the word of God, you cannot ask amiss. After this, present your Request (R). Lastly, make sure that you are presenting your request in Jesus name (JN). When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are placing the personality of Jesus behind your request and since God cannot deny Him anything, He will not deny you. He will attend to your request just as He attends to the request of Jesus.

KEY POINT:

Don’t just barge into God’s presence with your requests; make sure you have all that you need for your prayers to be answered.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 54-58

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 24: PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOR.

1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

o Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

3. Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee,
Whom in Heav’n but Thee.

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MEMORISE:

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

READ: 1 Corinthians 10:12

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

MESSAGE:

“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” 2 Timothy 4:10

Who was Demas? Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24 tell us that Demas was a fellow laborer with Paul, just like Luke. Who wrote the Gospel of St. Luke. How could anybody be that close to Paul and end up back in the world?

I want you to get something clear: there is no one above the possibility of backsliding. The Bible says that Moses spoke to God face to face; he had seen His wrath, yet he disobeyed Him. Don’t think you are above the possibility of backsliding. This was Samson’s mistake. He had won so many battles that he started to feel invincible. So he relaxed in the lap of Delilah. Apostle Paul said that he kept his body under subjection so that he would not mis heaven (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Backsliding does not occur at once; it is a gradual process. The devil makes this process so slow that the one backsliding may not even realize it, when a person reduces the time spent in praying and/or reading his Bible and attending to fewer Christian programmes, before long, it will be normal for the fellow to go a whole day without reading his Bible or talking to God. Once there is a separation, the devil will begin to introduce little things that don’t look like sin; if the fellow accepts those, then he would bring in the little sins and before long, he would have started doing things he once vowed never to do again. The devil may be many negative things, but he is no fool.

Check yourself: are you reducing the time you spend reading your Bible and talking to God every day? Are you beginning to have certain desires that you thought were already dead? If the answer is yes, then you urgently need another piece of iron to sharpen you; you need to be in fellowship with other Christians who can help rekindle your fire.

Take heed, the devil is on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8).

REFLECTION:
Be sober and vigilant. The devil, your adversary is actively seeking whom to devour. Take heed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 35-36.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33

READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE:
There is a popular adage that says “show me your friend and I will tell you who you are.” This saying is very true. No matter how spiritual you are, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says that “Evil communication corrupt good manners.” There are certain friends who would pull you back and there are others who would help you grow spiritually and in other areas of life. Choose your friends wisely. Before I became born again, I had friends with whom I regularly drank alcoholic wines. Then, I met Christ and my lifestyle changed. When my friends visited, I served them non-alcoholic drinks, and before long, they realized that things were different, and withdrew from me. It was painful to lose my friends then, but I let them go because I didn’t want them to drag me back to the world. Today, God has replaced those friends with a lot of brothers and sisters all over the world. I have made new friends who helped me in my walk with God. It is this kind of friends that you should have too- friends who will draw you closer to God, challenge you to pursue your dreams, pray with you when you are down and whose positive impact on your life will be evident to all. I must warn you that such friends are not many, but even if it is only one of such you can find, he or she is better than a hundred others who would pull you down.

Jesus is the best friend that any man can have. He said in John 15:15 that:
“…I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus’ friendship should be your standard, if you cannot see through a person’s lifestyle that they have a relationship with Jesus, then they should not be your friend. While Matthew 22:39 says that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, we are only to have a few true friends. Jesus loved everyone when He was on earth, but He kept His inner circle small. Don’t hate those you cannot be friends with. You must love them; just don’t share intimate things with them. Set clear boundaries.

Remember, iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).

REFLECTION:
Are your current friends drawing you closer to God or far from Him?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 28-30.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

READ: Ezekiel 18:20-24

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

MESSAGE:
Though many people seem to have forgotten, I want to remind you today that the wages of sin is still death. Death is a salary for sinners as stated in Romans 6:23. The sinner cannot dodge it; you work and must be paid. Ezekiel 18:20 says:
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

There are three categories of death. One is physical death. Sickness is an agent of physical death. In Mark 2:5, Jesus forgave the sin of the paralyzed man before healing him. If sin does not get out of the way, sickness will remain and eventually kill the fellow. Jesus told the man at the pool of Bethesda after healing him that if he went back to his sin, a worse illness would come upon him (John 5:14). Physical death could come through sickness when sin is in the life of a man.

The second category of death is material death. In Deuteronomy 28:15-24, there is a list of curses for those who will not obey God. If you read that scripture, you would be amazed at how many of those curses have to do with poverty. Many people are wallowing in poverty simply because they refuse to let go of sin. If only they could turn a new leaf and live holy, they would enjoy great blessings they never thought possible.

Lastly, there is spiritual death. This is the most dangerous; it is separation from God. In Genesis 3:3-10. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and the moment they heard the voice of God, they ran. God wasn’t the one chasing them, it was their sin. When you commit sin, you automatically run from God; the devil sees that you and your protector are now apart, he attacks with all kinds of issues. Spiritual death leads the sinner to eternity in hell. May you not experience spiritual death in the mighty name of Jesus.

KEY POINT:
Avoid sin, avoid death.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 8-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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