ALWAYS ON TIME

Memorise : Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.- John 11:21

Read: John 11:21-26

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?

MESSAGE :

Situations in life sometimes portray God as being insensitive to human suffering, sorrow and pain. On this account People tend to blame God by asking questions such as, where was God when the bad act was taking place. Why did God not intervene on time? Our memory verse says,

“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:21

By this statement, she was implying that the damage had been done, if the Lord had really wanted to help the situation, He would have arrived much earlier.

But I have good news for you, God is never late, He is always on time. He is omnipresent; He is not bound by human timing. He knows the end from the beginning, He does not sleep or slumber, He can do all things, and forgetfulness is not part of His nature. David was obviously in the spirit when he penned Psalms 102:13 which says:

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time of favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”

When talking about favour, generally, there is a time requirement involved. Some are born into favour from their first day on earth. Some enter into favour in their childhood or teen years. Others encounter favour as adults while some experience it at old age. In the same vein, some experience favour in one or two areas of their lives, while for some, when favour comes, it covers every department of their lives. Whether it comes early or later, or covers one or all areas of life, the coming of favour is characterized by a chain of goodies: bountiful joy, breakthroughs, miracles and blessings. In the scriptures, the time of favour has been termed a time of divine remembrance.

In Genesis 30:22-24, we see the case of Rachel. For many years, her womb was closed. There could be several factors responsible for this ranging from biological to divine. Although, her husband loved her very much, his love could not terminate her childlessness. Meanwhile, her sister Leah had become a baby making factory. The anguish of the barren in the midst of fruitful people can best be imagined. Genesis 30:1 says it got to a point Rachel preferred death to the unending embarrassment she was going through.

Have you been in a similar situation where your high school pals are gainfully employed, own cars, and live in their personal houses while you are still combing the streets looking for a job? How do you feel when you all have to attend a meeting and everyone cruises in with their brand new cars except you? You may be compelled to keep away from them in order to avoid embarrassment. Don’t despair! Thank God Rachel’s time of favour came and God remembered her. At last, apart from having two children, Joseph, her firstborn, became an Egyptian Prince – ruling over the world.

Do you know your time of favour is coming? It is around the corner. God will remember you and could even make you overtake those who started much earlier than you. It may appear as if God forgot you all these years, but your time of divine remembrance have come. Celebrate Jesus as you step into your time of divine favour in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, let my time of favour come now in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
2 Chronicles 7:4-9:31;
Proverbs 31:16-31

THE TRIAL OF FAITH

Memorise:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 1 Peter 4:12

Read : 1 Peter 1:1-7

1 PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Message
Faith, by its very nature, must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that Gods character has to be cleared on our own minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life. Much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him, I will remain true to God's character whatever He may do. Through He saly me, yet will I trust Him this is the most sublime utterance of faith.

Trials of faith are difficult to bear; for they cause heaviness or depression of the mind,( Hebrews 10:32 ). Why art thou cast down, O my soul! And why art thou disquieted within me? Is often the language of a child of God. But ought he ever to be cast down? Ought he not be superior to the trials of life, and to soar above them as on eagles wings? No; Christianity is not Stoicism, and , if a believer does not feel his troubles, there would cease to be such, and it would not affect their purpose and design. While, he does not yield to a spirit of dejection, or allow it to overcome him, he must feel when in the furnace of trial even as did our Lord Himself. In the presence of others, however, he should endeavour to be cheerful, and the most so if he occupies a public position in the church, so that he doesn't discourage those around him. When Joseph's brethren appeared before him, he felt deep emotions, and could scarcely restrain himself. He left them, therefore, that he might weep in secret before God, and then he returned, relieved of the oppressive load ( Genesis 43:30-31 ).

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"
1 Peter 4:12
Trials of faith should be endured because they are temporary. Trials are not supposed to be permanent fixtures in life, they are for a season.

A day adversity comes, when darkness intercepts the skies, when the storm sets in on every side, when not a glean of light shines upon the path you tread; and then, perhaps, you hastily concluded that it will always be so. But no; sorrow endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning. It is only for a while that the trials lasts, and before long there is an opening in the clouds, the Suns bright beams burst through them again, and you are filled with hope and joy.

There are some trials, which are life-long on their effects, and can never be forgotten, like a deep wound in the flesh which, though healed, leaves a scar which must be carried to the grave. But the longest trials, and those which leave the deepest wounds, are only for a season the season of our earthly life, and Ina brighter sphere we shall forget them all, or remember them only as the wounded soldier remembers what he has passed through when he returns victoriously from the field of battle. May you receive strength to bear your trials and to overcome them all in Jesus name.

Prayer Point :
Father, Please don't let me fail in the trials of life in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 Chronicles 5:2-7:3 and Proverbs 31:1-15

HYMN 7: HOLY HOLY HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Who wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE

Memorise :
If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your
feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
John 13:14
Read : John 13:12-17
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had
taken his garments, and was set down again, he
said unto them, Know ye what I have done to
you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well;
for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's
feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do
them.
Message
There is nothing more fulfilling than a life of
service. Jesus Christ washed the feet of His
disciples to set an example of what leadership is.
Jesus Christ being our Lord and Saviour, our
master and instructor has proven to us that
leadership is not title but service. It is service
that show relevance, one may have title and not
be relevant in the scheme of things. That should
not be heard among the children of God. Even
though He was the master,yet, He condescended
so low in humility to serve His disciples. This
means a leader irrespective of the position he
occupies, must never forget that essence of that
position is to serve the people that God has
entrusted in his care. Every leader must emulate
people like Gideon and Abimelech who led by
service. Judges 9:48 says:
"And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he
and all the people that were with him; and
Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down
a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on
his shoulder, and said unto the people that were
with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste,
and do as I have done."
As ministers of the gospel, we are to show grave,
humility and love at every given time. We must
serve the interest of those the Lord has put in our
trust at every given time. You as a leader should
not lord it over people. People should should not
obey you simply because of the office you
occupy. They should respect you for the value you
adding to their lives. Our knowledge of Jesus as
the creator of all things who still stopped low to
clean the feet of those people He created should
make us think twice. We must be able to go extra
mile for physical and spiritual needs of the people
we are leading. The Bible demands that whoever
will be great should be a servant ( Mathew
20:27 ).
The essence of the anointing of God in your is
not for show but for service. Service is a
fundamental aspect of leadership. The moment
you remove service from your life,there is no
room for good leadership. People should see the
good example you are showing and praise God for
your life. There are people occupying one office
or the other and they have become principalities
and powers to those they are supposed to serve.
They use the instrument of office to oppress
others. This is not the example that Jesus set.
Invest in people, and they will give you their
commitment and loyalty. Value people genuinely,
and they will respect you. A true leader is
identified by the value he places on those under
him. You must labour more than those under you.
Apostle Paul was a latecomer but he laboured
more than others, and he admonished us to
follow in his footstep as he followed Jesus
Christ. Leadership is awesome, but you need the
wisdom of God to be able to lead well. The Lord
will assist you in Jesus name.
Prayer Point:
Father, let my life be a good example for others
to follow.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 Chronicles 1:1-5:1 and
Proverbs 30:18-33
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 14: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see his banners go!
Chorus:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
2. At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell's
foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Chorus:
3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have
trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
Chorus:
4. Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise
and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never 'gainst that church
prevail;
We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot
fail.
Chorus:
5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels
sing.
Chorus.

VENGEANCE IS THE LORDS

Memorise :
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans
12:19
Read : Ezekiel 25:12-14
12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom
hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking
vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and
revenged himself upon them;
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also
stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut
off man and beast from it; and I will make it
desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall
fall by the sword.
14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the
hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in
Edom according to mine anger and according to
my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith
the Lord GOD.
Message
Many passages of the Bible reiterate the fact that
vengeance belongs to God alone. Because
vengeance belongs to the Lord, it is His right to
execute it. He said in Romans 12:19, :Vengeance
is mine, saith the Lord." Deuteronomy 32:35 also
says, "To me belongs vengeance." Even Psalms
94:1 says, "O Lord God, to whom vengeance
belongs, show thyself". Gods people are not to
avenge themselves; especially when He makes
use of them as His Instrument. God must be
seen as the one in action, personalities involved
should assume the position of an ordinary
instrument in the hand of the Almighty. Romans
12:19 says :
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
We as Children of God must never make any
move to avenge ourselves under any
circumstance. You can be sure that God will
surely fight on your behalf according to His word.
God will avenge His people upon their
adversaries; He will not allow any unrepentant
sinner to go unpunished. You must know that
God does not want the death of any sinner;
therefore, He will make ways for repentance by
making a reasonably long period of grace
available to sinners and adversaries alike. But you
can be sure that at the right time, He will make
good His promises to His people, and they will be
avenged of their enemies. But, because His mercy
endures forever, He will even send several
warnings to the enemies to prompt then towards
repentance as record in Isaiah 47:3:
"Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy
shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I
will not meet thee as a man."
But let the enemies not be encouraged by this to
continue in wickedness, because God will surely
avenge His elect, because they are so near and
dear to Him. God has always been a witness to
the rage and oppression of the enemies; He is
quite listener to the threatening and arrogant
boastings of these enemies. It does not please
any father to watch his dear children being
tormented, beaten,enslaved,burned alive, and
killed, before his eyes. We are His beloved; He
suffered and died by carrying out the ultimate
sacrifice for our sakes. The compassionate and
tender heart of a husband toward his betrothed
wide cannot be emphasized. Our Heavenly Father
is always sharing in our affliction, and bitterness
of soul,every time any of His children is being
brutalized. God will avenge His own elect to
convince the world of how grievous it has been
for him to behold all the violence and cruelty
wicked men have done unto His own people.
God will avenge His people because the days of
the wicked must end, and the days of the saints
must begin. Also, because the harvest of the
prayers and cries of God's elect is now ripe. Your
deliverance is here, you can begin to celebrate
Jesus. Praise God!
Prayer Point :
Father, from today, I will stay quite and watch
you avenge me.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 Chronicles 28-29 and
Proverbs 30:7-17
AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED.
O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

BEWARE OF PRIDE

.MEMORISE : 

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. PROVERBS 16 : 18.

READ : 1 PETER 5 : 5 - 6 :

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

MESSAGE :

Our topic for today is a warning to be very careful of pride. Pride is a giant killer that has turned many great men and women of God to mere casualties. Pride is the first and foremost of the traditional seven deadly sins, perhaps because it is in many ways the root of other sins. Even the “original sin” of Adam and Eve was not mere disobedience, but at the heart of it was pride, quietly lurking in a corner. The fact that Adam and Eve wanted to be like God, reveals a form of hidden pride. Ironically, eating the forbidden fruit led to the opening of their eyes, increasing them in knowledge and wisdom. It turned their attention away from God and they became focused on their outward appearance. They immediately developed the ability, confidence and independence to decide and act on their own without any recourse to God their maker. This is the same fatal foolishness that has plagued the human race ever since.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Pride has been correctly identified by many as the greatest woe which can quickly destroy anyone captured by it. I usually tell my children that apart from impure thoughts and cravings of the body, another area in which you must exert your victory over the flesh is pride. A proud person is always in contention – fighting with those he thinks he is better than; such a fellow will do everything to show that he is better than others. The proud is always in competition with those who appear better off, just to prove a point that he or she is superior. In doing this, the proud will make derogatory statements about such people and cut them to size just to show that he knows it better or can do it better. The proud finds it difficult to acknowledge the sincere work or effort of others because he thinks such will displace him from being on top. The proud sees himself as being number one in all things. Apart from contending with men, the proud also contends with God. Anyone who is proud or haughty and is speaking so much about God is only a pretender. By reason of their contention with God, they have enthroned themselves as number one in their own lives, making God their running mate. Are you finding it difficult to recognize the efforts of those that are better than you in certain areas? You are simply proud.

Psalms 73 : 6 says some people are compassed with pride. This implies that it is possible for pride to be visibly glaring in the life of someone that is full of it. You can be clothed in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can be clothed in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can identify a proud person from his or her looks, carriage, dressing, speech, behaviour, giving, prayer, Christian service, work, attitude, etc. Unfortunately, Isaiah 13:11 says that the same reason which makes the proud fellow haughty is the same reason that will make him fall. Every proud individual is headed for a fall and proud people end up being destroyed ( Proverbs 16 : 18 ). Some people are proud but they don’t know it. If you exalt yourself by your words and conduct, you shall be abased ( Matthew 23 : 12 ). James 4 : 6 speaks of something quite frightening: it says God resists the proud which confirms that God is always contending with the proud, is there pride in your heart? Ask God to forgive and uproot every trace of pride from your life today.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, please remove the spirit of pride from my life this moment in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 CHRONICLES 25 - 27 AND PROVERBS 29 : 22 - 30 : 6.

HYMN : MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE.

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.