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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MEMORISE: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. Job 22:28

READ: 2 Corinthians 10:3 -6

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

MESSAGE

Following the discussion we began yesterday, it is not only witches, wizards and witch doctors who can try to hinder a person destiny; sickness can also.

Many people remain sick because they are tolerating sickness. You must rebuke sickness in your body. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge “. Now that you know the truth, you can tell sickness, How dare you attack me, a child of the Original Physician? My Daddy says in Exodus 15:26 that He is the Lord that healeth me, so I am healed in Jesus’ name.

When you know who you are in Christ, it affects how you behave. If you are the son of a messenger, you would talk differently from the child of the President. Your Father is not just the President – He is the President of all presidents in the whole world (Psalm 24:7-10). He is the One about whom Philippians 2:9-11 says that, at His name, every knee bows. It is unfortunate that many Christians have the name but don’t use it. You must rebuke demons. Tell them, “How dare you fool around with me. I am the child of Lord of hosts”. If you do that, you will get every demon out of your household today. The Bible made it clear that if you are truly a child of the living God, you shouldn’t even fail. Philippians 4:13 says you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.

You can rebuke the devil Himself. James 4:7 says if you submit yourself to God, you will resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you know who you really are in Christ, your confidence shows in how you pray. For example, if someone is in the bathroom and you knock at the door, the way the fellow inside answer would tell you whether it is messenger in the house or the landlord that is there. While they could both say the same thing, the confidence level in their respective voices would differ.

You must speak to the devil as someone who knows that you have the greater One inside of you (John 4:4) and he will flee from you.

PRAYER POINT

I decree today: Sickness, demons and every other agents of the devil, take your dirty hands away from my life, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Micah 5-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 25: THE GREAT PHYSICIAN NOW IS HERE

1 The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!

Sweetest note in seraph song;
Sweetest name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!

2 Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
The veil ’twixt you and God is riven,
Redemption wrought by Jesus.

3 All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s name,
I love the name of Jesus.

4 His name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The precious name of Jesus!

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MEMORISE: The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Deuteronomy 33:27

READ: 1 Samuel 2:6 -9

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

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

God’s arms are everlasting (Deuteronomy 33:27), so when He begins to lift you, no one can bring you down. When human beings promote you, they never want to put you on the same level as themselves. In Genesis 39:1-5, Potiphar promoted Joseph and put him in charge of everything in his house, but he was still a slave.

And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1 Samuel 18:4

Jonathan gave David many gifts because he loved him but did not give him shoes. In those days, no matter how much you give a man, you can collect these things back if you don’t give him your shoes (Ruth 4:7-8). Also, servants never wore shoes. Thus, Jonathan was telling him, “I love you greatly, but don’t forget that l am a prince and you are an ordinary citizen in this kingdom.”

Another thing you can learn from the story of Joseph is that if human beings promote you, they can also bring you down. It is the same Potiphar who made Joseph the head of all his slaves who later threw him in prison. Those shouting ‘Hosanna’ today may shout ‘Crucify him’ tomorrow. When God decided to promote Joseph, He brought him to a level so high that even  Potiphar – his former slave master, had to bow before him. The Most High will promote you and very soon, all those who have been oppressing you will bow before you, in Jesus’ name.

The Almighty God took David – who was a shepherd boy, made him a king and kept on promoting him until he became the father of the King of kings (Revelation 22:16). This is a classic example of God lifting a fellow with His everlasting arms.

Do you know that if God decides to promote you, even after you are dead, the promotion continues? God however, will not lift the proud in His everlasting arms. You must surrender your life totally to Jesus and humble yourself before Him if you want Him  to promote you (1 Peter 5:6).

KEY POINT

Be humble so that God can promote you with His everlasting arms.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Obadiah 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE

1 In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when striving cease,

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

2 In Christ alone who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless Babe

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied,

For every sin on Him was laid,

Here in the death of Christ I live.

3 There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day,

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory,

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine,

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Could ever pluck me from His hand,

‘Til He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I stand.

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MEMORISE: 1 Samuel 2:30
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

READ: Isaiah 38:1-8

Isaiah 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.

Isaiah 38:2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,

Isaiah 38:3 And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

Isaiah 38:4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

Isaiah 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Isaiah 38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken;

Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

MESSAGE

Today, I want to introduce you to the other side of the Most High, You already know from previous discussions that He can overrule anybody, but did you know He can also overrule Himself? In Isaiah 38:1-8, the Most High sent His Prophet to King Hezekiah to tell him that he was about to die. Hezekiah prayed to God to give him some more time on earth, and the Most High granted him 15 more years. The Prophet must have wondered, “But Lord, forever O Lord, Your word is settled” (Psalm 119:89), and God must have responded, “I am the One who said it. I am the One reversing it.” That is an example of God overruling Himself to answer a man’s prayers. He can also overrule Himself to punish a man.
When you read 1 Samuel 2:30, you see Him overruling Himself to punish Eli. This is where we need to be very careful.

In 1 Samuel 9:15-17, He chose Saul, who was the least in the least of the tribes in Israel, to be king. However, Saul became arrogant and God decided to reject him. At the end of the day, God sent a tormenting spirit to him and then made sure that he and his sons died on the same day. I am sure that if Saul knew that he would end up that way, he would never have disobeyed God.

The Most High is a wonderful friend to have. When He is on your side, He can overrule anybody or anything that is against you, but He is a very dangerous enemy.
If He was once your friend and becomes your enemy, you are in trouble. This is why I want to appeal to you again to surrender your life to Him. The Most High is not someone you toy with. He is not someone you can cheat or deceive, He knows all things. He knows those who pretend to belong to Him but are still doing the will of the devil. Before He changes His mind, I beg you to surrender to Him and let Him be your friend for life. If you claim that He is your Lord, serve Him in total surrender. Serve Him with all your heart and in sincerity. Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, and the result will be beautiful. If however, you think you can play games with Him, He will show you that He is a Consuming Fire.

KEY POINT

If you are wise, you would never want to be in the bad book of the Most High, you would live holy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 5-9

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 endless praise,
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,
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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MEMORISE: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Lamentations 3:37

READ: Psalms 9:2-9

2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

MESSAGE

The Most High can overrule curses. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, the Bible tells us that there had been a curse hanging over Jericho since the time of Joshua, but the Lord, working through Elisha, cancelled it.

God can overrule covenants. Isaiah 28:13 says that even if you have made any covenant that is not according to His will, once He overrules it, it will not stand. If there is any covenant between you and the devil, it is cancelled now, in Jesus’ name. Many years ago, a woman came to deliver her baby at our maternity centre in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Apparently, because she had been barren for many years, she had uttered a statement saying she didn’t mind dying, as long as she gave birth first. Now, she had gotten pregnant and didn’t want to die during childbirth, so she came to the Church’s maternity centre to deliver the baby. After being in labour for some days, the midwives informed me, so I called on the Most High to overrule that evil covenant she had made. He overruled it and a short while later, she gave birth safely.

The Most High overrules blood covenants too (Isaiah 49:24-26), so even if you have been initiated into a cult by blood covenant, the Lord will cancel it now, in Jesus’ name.

The Most High can even overrule hell. He can tell hell: “You cannot have this fellow”. Paul said in (1 Timothy 1:15) that he was originally the chief of sinners, but then he had an encounter with Jesus Christ and instead became a chief amongst the Apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5). I have always said, “If the Almighty God can use me, He can use anybody”. If He could take me from the path to hell and put me on my way to heaven, then whatever claim hell has over you is overruled right now, in Jesus’ name. You must note however, that you have a role to play in ensuring that hell’s claim over you is completely overruled. If the Most High decides to snatch you from the path to hell but you go back into sin, then you will be back on that destructive path. It is your duty to respond to God’s gracious act of love by living holy so you do not end up in hell.

PRAYER POINT

Father, if there is any covenant I or my fathers entered into that is affecting my life today, please overrule it now, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Amos 1-4

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,
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: But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Psalms 115:3

READ: Psalms 135:3 -13

3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

MESSAGE

In Psalm 33:10-11, the Bible says that God brings the counsel of the heathen to naught but His own counsel stands forever. Thus, it doesn’t matter what your enemies have decided concerning you; He will cancel their counsel and replace them with His, in Jesus’ name.

The Most High can overrule doctors. In Mark 2:1-12 the man brought in through the roof could not be healed – medically speaking, but he walked out healed when he came into the presence of the Most High. We are indeed privileged to serve a God who can overrule medical reports.

The Most High can also overrule death. In John 11:39-44, the Bible tells us that by the time Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, not only had Lazarus been dead for days, his corpse must also have already been stinking. His relatives believed it was too late but the Most High spoke – completely overruling death and calling Lazarus back to life. Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He never addressed death. When He was going to raise the daughter of Jairus, He didn’t use the word death at all; He said, “Little girl, arise”, and death had to let go.

The Most High can overrule demons. Isaiah 49:24-26 shows that when the Most High decides to set free, He will feed those who say you cannot be free with their own flesh and cause them to drink their own blood. I once preached at a wedding in my village and when l saw that witches were also in attendance. I used that opportunity to,praise the Most High God before them while condemning the kingdom of darkness. After the wedding, they met the bride’s mother and said, “This boy insulted us at your daughter’s wedding; let us see if she will put to bed safely”. The mother ran to me and I told her not to worry. The bride got pregnant, and gave birth safely in spite of all the evil the witches planned because the Most High had overruled them. The Most High is saying to you now that every activity of demons in your life is overruled, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Most High God, please overrule every evil report or decision concerning me and my loved ones, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joel 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 thy health and salvation;
Join the great throng,
Psaltery, organ, and song,
Sounding in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord, over all things he gloriously reigneth:
Borne as on eagle-wings, safely his saints he sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen,
How all thou needest hath been,
Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
Ponder anew,
What the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath breath join with Abraham’s seed to adore Him!
Let the Amen
Sum all our praises again,
Now as we worship before Him.

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