OCCUPYING WHILE WAITING?

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. Luke 19:13

Read: Joshua 13:1-6, (KJV)

1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

Message

The parables of Jesus sometimes were directed to the multitude and at some other times are directed to the disciples in particular. The parable of Jesus in the memory verse for today was directed to the disciples who were being prepared for the great commission (Mark 16:15-16). They were being told to occupy till He comes.

Sometimes we think the word “occupy” means “keep yourself busy” alone; it means more than that. We must not keep ourselves busy doing nothing substantial. To understand the import of Christ’s command in Luke 19:13 we must take a look at the Bible reading of today. The Lord gave a not too good assessment of the journey to the Promised Land under Joshua, which should be a food for thought for the Church of the 21st century.

“Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.”

Joshua 13:1

One lesson we must quickly learn from the above scripture is that Joshua was now old and there was no more strength and energy to lead the battle against the inhabitants of the land which God had given to them. They failed to occupy the Promised Land. In the same vain, when Jesus Christ told His disciples (and us by extension), to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature, He was actually saying that we should go and occupy the land for Him and the Kingdom of His Father. It is beyond keeping ourselves busy just for its sake. The question now is, “Are we really occupying while we await His second coming?” Another food for thought is, in our evangelistic and missionary efforts, can we say we are occupying both the geographical and spiritual landscape and atmosphere of the world? What can we show for all the money spent on missions and evangelistic efforts? Have we taken a break in our efforts to occupy the nooks and crannies of world kingdoms like the disciples of old? We must remember that our mandate is to make disciples of all nations.

Beloved, we must not lose grounds any more. As a matter of fact, the grounds we have lost to the enemy must be taken back. Like David encouraged himself in the Lord after the raid of his barrack at Ziklag, we must summon courage to go after the enemy and recover back the Kingdoms that once belongs to the Church. The cathedrals that have been turned to bars must be brought back for the worship of the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. Christian nations that have turned secular must be revived and brought back to the light of the gospel of the Son of the Living God. May the Lord help us in Jesus’ name.

Action Point:

Let us set a strategic plan to go to the “garrison” of the children of the bondwoman and take what belongs to our God back to Him because He is the God of all flesh.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Micah 1-4 and Psalms 86

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST OUR KING

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Chorus:

5. Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

THE TOUCH OF FAITH

Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Matthew 9:29

Read: Matthew 9:20-22, (KJV)

20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Message

There is tremendous power in a touch. It may be positive or negative as there are categories and types of touches. The touch of faith Naaman knew the power in a touch, especially from representatives of God and said with a sense of disappointment when Elisha did not come out to touch him when he went to Samaria:

“…Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
2nd Kings 5:11

A touch can bring death as in the case of Uzzah in the book of Samuel:

“And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”
2nd Samuel 6:6-7

During one of our Conventions at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria, the Lord asked me to lay out a piece of cloth for people to touch by faith and receive their healing, with a warning that it should simply be touched and not held. A man went ahead to touch (I will say without faith) because he also grabbed the cloth. It took special grace and forgiveness of God for him not to die the moment he touched outside of faith; his entire body began to shake uncontrollably from morning till evening. It would have been a touch of death but for God’s intervention.

Another touch can bring healing as in the case of the woman with the issue of blood in our Bible reading for today.
“For she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”
Matthew 9:21
This is the touch of faith. The touch of faith can work for the one who touches and for the touched. In the same chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus Christ was met by two blind men who were crying for mercy of healing. When Jesus found out that these men had faith to receive divine touches for healing, the Bible says:

“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, see that no man know it.”
Matthew 9:29-30

The touch of faith is required anytime you need a miracle. I pray for someone using this devotional; the Lord will touch you for healing and deliverance today, and will have a testimony in Jesus’ name. I also pray that whatever you touch by faith today will prosper in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please touch me in the areas where I need Your intervention today and let my joy be full in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Obadiah 1, Jonah 1-4 and Psalm 85

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

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

I KNOW YOUR WORKS VII

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36

Read: Revelation 3:14-19, (KJV)

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and Unclad:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy unclothedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

MESSAGE

The Lord in many pages of the Bible warns against the lust of this material world. We are enjoined to set our affections on heavenly things, so that we may not be draw into the perdition of covetousness.

Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse asks:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Mark 8:36

Also in today’s Bible reading, our Lord accused the Church in Laodicea of lukewarmness. They were neither hot nor cold. What could have been responsible for this spiritual state of the Church in Laodicea? They were carried away by their physical and material prosperity. Service became funfair and the clergy became time-serving.

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and Unclad.”
Revelation 3:17

We must learn from the experience of the Loadicean Church, the material prosperity could be very dangerous if not properly managed by children of God. A man finds it easy to keep vigils in his mosquito or bug infested room, since mosquito or bug bites will not allow him to sleep anyway. However, the moment his situation changes for the better. He now owns a decent apartment with maximum comfort; it becomes difficult to pray at night. Also, when a man does not have enough food to eat, fasting may be easy, because he can only afford to eat once daily anyway. Those born with silver spoons or living in the developed world may find such situations unbelievable, but this was my experience in my trying days, when my regular meal was just one finger of plantain a day. In those days, I dared not eat two fingers of plantain, or else I will have to fast the following day. It takes the grace of God and strong determination to fast when your storehouse is full of assorted foods. King Solomon made a prayer request that we should consider:

“Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
Proverbs 30:7-9

God called on Adam after he had sold himself to Satan and fallen for the three main temptations in history; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. In response, he said he was hiding because he had realised that he was Unclad. He was right. Riches without God is unclothedness in the spirit. Beloved, don’t be deceived, only Jesus Christ can satisfy; nothing and no one else can.

Prayer Point:

Father, please set me on fire for You so that I may remain hot until Your Second Coming.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :Amos 5:18-9:15 and Psalms 84

AUTHOR: Pst E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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.

I KNOW YOUR WORKS V

 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. MATTHEW 26 : 41.

READ : REVELATION 3 : 1 - 6 :

1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

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 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.

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.

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.

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

MESSAGE :

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the most practical personality that has ever lived on the earth. This should not be surprising, since He is both God and man; He came to show us the way to live a victorious and fulfilled life. He affirmed that He came that we may have life and to have it more abundantly ( John 10 : 10 ).

In the Lord’s letter to the Church at Sardis, He told the Church that they were living in self-delusion; that they thought they were vibrant and full of life, whereas, they were half dead and something must be done urgently to preserve the remaining half of their lives, because their works were not perfect before God. They were to watch and pray to rejuvenate their spirituality. Our compassionate Lord, who would not want anyone, particularly those who have confessed Him as Lord to perish is here in today’s reading appealing to and warning the Church to remember how they started and hold fast the Word of truth. One lesson here is that God is not interested in the death of a backslider but that the backslider should repent and be saved.

“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Jeremiah 3 : 14.

Another interesting lesson we must learn from today’s reading is that the Almighty God knows the state and details of our lives, both spiritually and physically. In spite of the indictment of the imperfect works of the Church at Sardis, the Lord still revealed the truth that not all the members of the Church were corrupt.

“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.”
Revelations 3 : 4.

The accurate judge said that there are names ( though few ) that are worthy! I pray that you will be declared worthy in Jesus’ name. However, you have to watch over your soul in this pervert generation and pray always if you will be worthy at the end of the age. Moreover, the Lord promised that He would judge individuals in the church, according to each person’s deeds. There shall be no collective responsibility when it comes to spiritual accountability.

“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.”
Ezekiel 18 : 20.

ACTION POINT : Since the Lord knows your works; take a self-examination of yourself and see where you need to repent, watch and pray for restoration.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOEL 1 - 3 AND PSALMS 82.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

HYMN 4 : 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.

I KNOW YOUR WORKS VI.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 CORINTHIANS 15 : 58.

READ : REVELATION 3 : 7 - 11 :

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

MESSAGE :

Another exciting thing about the Almighty God is that He is the most generous employer of labour. He pays the best wages in history. This is reason Apostle Paul admonishes us in today’s memory verse to always abound in the work of the Lord because He will definitely pay us wages beyond our imagination. The disciples asked Jesus Christ what they should do that they might work the works of God? He answered them: “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” ( John 6 : 28 - 29 ). You may not appreciate the ability to believe that the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you, until you discover the outcome of those who died as a result of unbelief ( Hebrews 3 : 12 - 19 ). God celebrates those who exercise faith in Him; this is why without faith we cannot please Him ( Hebrews 11 : 6 ). In the message of Jesus Christ to the Church in Philadelphia, it is written :

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou has a little strength, and hast kept my work, and hast not denied my name.”
Revelation 3 : 8.

One serious point to note is that there are many practical unbelievers in Christ, playing empty religion. They do not believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and He knows their works! How do we explain this? The Bible says that He shall be called Jesus because He shall save His people from their sins. This category of Church goers do not believe that through His Name we can receive deliverance from sins. They deny the possibility of living above the power of sin, and so their slogan is “let us sin the more that we may enjoy the grace the more”. Against this background Apostle Paul wrote :

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
Romans 6 : 1 - 2.

Beloved, in the light of these, do you believe in the saving name of Jesus? Are you ready to keep His Word? He has promised that the agents of Satan shall not do you any harm. Rather, they would bow before you and acknowledge the fact that you are a beloved of the Lord. He promised :

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Revelations 3 : 10.

ACTION POINT : Find out the areas where you have been exercising unbelief and repent today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : AMOS 1 : 1 - 5 : 17 AND PSALMS 83.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

HYMN 4 : 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.

I KNOW YOUR WORKS III

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1st Timothy 4:1

Read: Revelation 2:12-17, (KJV)
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

MESSAGE

In the Bible reading, Jesus Christ commended the Church in Pergamos, reassuring them that nothing about them is hidden from Him. The interesting thing about this Church is that in spite of the nearness of the Church to the seat of Satan, they still held on to the Name of Jesus Christ, they never denied their faith even in the face of terrible persecution. However, Jesus Christ had a serious allegation against them. They tolerated in their midst those who were holding on to and practising false doctrines. This is a food for thought for Christians of the 21st century. In this end-time, we compromise a lot of the apostolic orthodox in the name of civilization and fundamental human rights. We have forgotten that just as God is not a democrat, He is also not a human activist. He has His set of rules that we must abide by, however, we compromise this divine standard because we think we can through that, win these blasphemers into the Kingdom.As a matter of fact, because we have tolerated them so much, they now see themselves as Christians too, setting worldly standard for the Church as they dangle their wealth at the saints.

Will Jesus not hate such a compromise in the name of magnanimity when it becomes a stumbling block to the saints? The saints are living their first love because of the doctrine of Balaam. This compromise spoiled the good works of the Church in Pergamos. In Revelations 2:16, Jesus warned the Church:

“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

One major revelation in this passage is that the message of repentance was preached to the Church in Pergamos. We are hereby encouraged to heed this warning too, so that we can overcome these temptations through genuine repentance. When we overcome, our reward will be the hidden manna and a testimonial of perfection written on precious stone.

Beloved, do not be deceived by your longevity in Church. God knows your works and He will reward you accordingly.

Prayer Point:

Father, help me to disassociate myself from worldly pollution.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Hosea 6-10 and Psalms 80:8-19

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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.

I KNOW YOUR WORKS II

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. Revelation 2:29

Read: Revelation 2:8-11, (KJV)

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

MESSAGE

The Almighty Father knows all that we do, nothing we do is hidden from Him. This should make us rejoice because it means that our Master knows our works, (assuming that our works are good) and He will appreciate and commend us for them. In other words, even if people don’t appreciate us or if they misunderstood us, God never misunderstoods. In Revelation 2:9, the Lord sent a message of goodwill to the Church in Smyrna:

“I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

There are beautiful things to note from the above scripture: Jesus knows about the tribulation we are passing through. Little wonder one of the saints of old wrote a hymn titled: “There’s not a Friend like the Lowly Jesus.” The Chorus reads:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one! No, not one!

Another interesting thing about today’s Bible reading is the courage that the Master gave to the Church in Smyrna. He said: “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer….be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Beloved, this is a message from Jesus, the Lover of your soul. Before this time, in John 16:33, Jesus made a categorical statement void of ambiguity.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus further assured us of the great reward of escaping the second death if we will strive to overcome (Revelation 2:11). May the Lord help us to overcome in Jesus’ name.

Prayer point:

Father, strengthen my inner man so that I may stand strong till the very end.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Hosea 1-5 and Psalms 80:1-7

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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.

I KNOW YOUR WORKS I

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love. Revelation 2:4

Read: Revelations 2:1-5, (KJV)

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 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.

MESSAGE

Many people think of a high level of sin and crime when we talk of backsliding, whereas to backslide does not require going into heinous sins as some erroneously think. What is backsliding? Simply defined, backsliding is failure to do the good things you were doing before. James 4:17says:

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

It becomes a serious matter when you have started doing a good work and you stop doing it; that is backsliding in its practical form. This was the situation in the Church at Ephesus. The Lord commended their labour, their patience and their zero tolerance for evil. The Lord also knew how careful they were in scrutinizing and distinguishing between true and false apostles. In other words, they did not take any message in the Name of the Lord if they were not persuaded in the Holy Ghost about its authenticity. They held fast the faith, labouring to defend it without compromise. However, the Lord had something against them; they had left their first love. As a Christian, where is your first love? Is it still intact or have you left it for the theology of relativism? Is the end justifying the means of your livelihood? Your Church is swelling up in attendance after you compromised the faith. Those who you could not tolerate on God’s altar are those that are frequently invited. Those singers that you could never allow near God’s sanctuary are those who now frequently “minister” in songs to your congregation. Where is your first love? The Master in Revelation 2:5 is saying:

“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 they candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

In the past, Christians didn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly. They didn’t stand where sinners stood, and they didn’t sit at the forum of the scornful (Psalms 1:1). Nowadays, Christians promote and applaud jesting and ungodly jokes. We seem to have forgotten that not only doers will be punished but also those who love the doers. Romans 1:28, 32 says:

“…Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Beloved, we should never allow our love for Christ go cold. Let us go back to our first love and be ready to suffer fleshy loss so that we can ultimately win Christ.

Prayer Point:

Father, please forgive me in anyway I have backslide and restore me to my first love for You and Your Kingdom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Daniel 11-12 and Psalms 79

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: 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.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? Memorise:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1st Corinthians 11:1

Read: Philippians 3:14-19, (KJV)

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

MESSAGE

One thing that thrills me about the Bible is that it is a library of books that confirms that there is no new thing under the heaven. Everything good, bad and ugly have happened before and they are written so that we can learn from them. We have had many leaders in both secular and religious history; we still have leaders in the present age. The question is; who is your role model? Show me your model and I can tell you who you are. In the Bible reading for today, we read about someone who was bold enough to tell his audience to follow him because he was a follower of the Greater Master, Jesus. He went further to tell the Philippians what he did with his life:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14

In his effort to please his Master and Lord, the apostle said that those things which were gain to him, he counted as nothing so that he may win Christ and His righteousness. He aspired to become like Jesus Christ to the point of no return. He said in Philippians 3:10:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

We can learn many things from the life of this apostle: If we look at the dramatic change that followed his encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus, we cannot help but ask whether we plan to go to the same heaven with this soldier of the Cross. His memoirs are clearly written in 2nd Corinthians 11 and 12. He spoke in part about the price of not only his discipleship but also of his apostleship, as he talked of a thorn in his flesh that buffeted him and then concluded in 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 by saying:

“And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Beloved, who is your role model? We have living role models in the present age; those that are sold to the righteousness attainable only in Christ, those who have not corrupted themselves with the affairs of this life. Their lifestyles may not be amiable but if we follow them, our heavenly destination is guaranteed. Paul, the apostle under study, warned us thus in Philippians 3:17

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.”

The reason he gave was that many, even as early as the first century Church did not walk uprightly. As it was in the beginning so it is now. Therefore, beloved, watch out for good role models and pattern your life after them as they do after Christ.

Action Point:

Look among Christian leaders and find out those living according to Christ’s doctrine. Follow their footsteps.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Bible in one year: Daniel 9:10, Psalms 78:55-72

PROVEN WEAPON?

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. PROVERBS 18 : 10.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 17 : 38 - 47 :

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

MESSAGE :

One unfortunate thing about the spiritual warfare of this end-time is that many warriors of the Cross use weapons that have not been proven. As a result, they either die on the battlefield or become prisoners of spiritual wars.

Many of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but it is possible that we missed one or two lessons in the story. As we continue to read and mediate on this popular story, we can gain insights into more reasons why the story was recorded for us to learn from. The first lesson we can learn is the fact that king Saul, as bad as his state of spirituality might have been as at that time was very concerned about the safety of the young man who was proving to be a “dare devil”. He put on David the weapons of his own defence. The question is; if this armour could help, how come the original owner did not use it to free his nation from the threat of the giant? We can quickly learn that it is a curse to be under a weak or discouraged leader. What saved the day was that David realised that the battle was not just a physical battle. So, he quickly turned spiritual in his approach to the battle with, (humanly speaking) the most ridiculous weapon of war. In fact, Goliath himself felt that the battle had turned to a comic drama. 1 Samuel 17 : 42 - 43.

“And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.”

Another lesson, particularly from the above scripture is that in spite of the disdainful weapon that David was carrying, Goliath still employed his spiritual allies; he cursed David by his gods. How I wish that all children of God will realise that it is not the grammar of the language they use that will do the work of conversion; it is by the Spirit of our God. Human methods have never worked in the history of the Church, men and women of God who succeeded in the ministry were those who allowed the Spirit rather than self might, power or administrative acumen to lead in their ministries. David was a better match for this warrior who was fighting through the spirit of divination and sorcery. He said: “…Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” The end of the story was victory for Israel and great defeat for the Philistines. David used the weapon he had proven and found to be true; the name of the Lord.

ACTION POINT : Use the Name of the Lord to confront the battles you are facing today and you will see them crumble before you. The Name is lethal.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 7 - 8 AND PSALMS 78 : 40 - 55.

Last Days Happening 2

In the Last Days People Will be Boasters and Proud

Pride is the cause of Satan's fall because he wanted to be exalted above God, and the world today is full of proud and boastful people. This isn't Christian pride, boasting about Jesus, this is worldly pride. Do you like to be the center of attention? Do you like to be accepted by the world as one of them? Do you like to be exalted and lifted up by others? This is pride. One of the reasons people seek after material goods and wealth is because of pride. They want to be able to boast about the things they have and what they have achieved in a worldly sense. LOOK AT ME is the way of the world today.

Matthew 23:12 ...'And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.'

In the Last Days Children Will be Disobedient to Parents

If you go back just 40 or 50 years you will find that children had far more respect for adults, but now we have a world full of children who have little or no respect for grown ups. Not only that, many children now have little respect for their parents. My job takes me around many schools and it is amazing to see how cheeky and disrespectful children are nowadays. And what makes it worse, governments are bringing in laws to stop parents punishing/disciplining their children, which causes the children to get away with a lot more.

Satan loves disobedience, and if he can get children to disobey at an early age, then they are going to find it more difficult to be obedient to God as they are growing up.

In the Last Days People Will be Unthankful

Just have a think about your daily life. Are you really thankful to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon you? Do you thank Him for waking you up in the morning? For feeding you? For providing you with a job and income? Do you thank Him for His wonderful creation? And most of all, do you thank God everyday for giving us His Son Christ Jesus? Do you contemplate that amazing sacrifice He made? Many of us are unthankful today because we have been conditioned by the world to HAVE things and just take it for granted. Now if Christians are like this, then what are those outside the faith like? We certainly live in a time of ungreatfulness. Spare a thought for those who DON'T have today!

In the Last Days People Will be Unholy

The majority of professing Christians believe that because we are under grace we no longer need to keep the law (the ten commandments)and it doesn't matter if we continue in sin. This is NOT the gospel of Christ Jesus and it is certainly UNHOLY. Again, just go back 50 years and you would see Christians living much holier lives. But today in 2011 we have churches full of unconverted people who continue to live just like the rest of the world. So to fulfil this condition of the last days, we don't even need to step outside the church because there is so much unholiness inside it! Churches have become like theatres and concert halls rather than sanctified holy places of worship.

In the Last Days People Will be Without Natural Affection

I love this one, because it alone shows us that we are in the last days. Just look at how homosexuality has become accepted by the world over the past 20 years, and not just by the world, but by professing Christians too! It's no longer regarded as "taboo" or forbidden, which God confirms in His Word, instead it is treated as just a normal thing.

Just last year (2010) President Obama said that one day soon, homosexual marriage would be regarded as just as honorable as a marriage between a man and woman. Now this is a professing Christian President of a supposed Christian nation. Not only that, we are now even seeing churches EMPLOY active homosexual leaders!! Do these people even read their Bibles anymore? In the last days people will be without NATURAL affection. We are IN that day!

In the Last Days People Will be Despisers of Those That are Good

These days people will not take rebuke or correction for the wrong things they do. If you warn a Christian about something wrong in their life, then they will just tell you to stop "judging" them. And those who do live good holy lives are seen as fanatical or are labled as "Pharisees".

Revelation 3:19 ...'As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.'

If we cannot take correction, then we are not going to learn and grow in Christ Jesus, and we are most likely not going to repent of the wrong we do. And where will that lead? ... Proverbs 15:10 ...'Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.'

Jeremiah 7:28 ...'But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.'

2 Timothy 3:16 ...'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.'

In the Last Days People Will be Lovers of Pleasure More than Lovers of God

Here again we don't even need to look outside the professing church. So many professing Christians these days spend far more time on worldly pleasures than with God. Television, movies, sports, games, shopping and socializing are the pleasures of the day, and God gets little time even from professing Christians. Have a look at your own day to day life. Do you spend more time on these things each day than you do with Jesus? If so, then you are a lover of pleasure, not God.

How many Christian homes during the evening are studying God's Word or praying, rather than watching the tv? I would guess not many at all. Television has become the idol of so many lives today, and even the things that are watched by professing Christians would be abominable to God. These are the last days for sure!

In the Last Days People Will Have a "Form" of Godliness Only

There are so many professing Christians in the world today who think that they are saved by just "believing" in Jesus. And as a result they continue to live worldly sinful lives with no real conversion taking place in their heart. Even the devils believe, but are they saved? No. If you have no works or no fruit in your life, then your profession of faith is dead and useless. Not one person can be IN Christ Jesus and not be changed by Him, not one! Going to church once a week does not make you a Christian, because a true Christian will walk and grow with Jesus EVERYDAY. Where are the people living holy lives for God? Where are they? Yes, there maybe "revivals" going on around many churches today, but what kind of revivals are they? Are they revivals of holy living? If not then God is not in it.

Anyone can open a building, stick a good band on stage, draw many people through the doors and call it "revival". It's called a rock concert!

Are we in the Last Days?

I am totally convinced from the above and the signs of the end times that we are living in the last days. As a people we desperately need to get right with God, because we are in judgment time and Jesus is going to return soon to give His reward to those who have truly served Him or destroy those who did not obey the gospel. Are you obeying the gospel of Christ Jesus? Do you have a love for the truth? Do you search and study the scriptures each day? Please heed the following warning.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 .....'And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.'

The deceptions that Satan is going to manifest during the very last days are going to be so strong, that if you don't have a love for the truth and are not grounded in the truth of God's Word, then you will leave yourself wide open to be deceived. Don't think that your mere "belief" in Jesus will save you, because if you do truly believe, then you will be living everyday for Him and searching the scriptures to find out the truth.

We are living in the last days, PLEASE get ready!