A FAITHFUL STEWARD?

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 

1st Corinthians 4:2

Read: Luke 16:1-8 (KJV)

1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

MESSAGE

Faithfulness is another obligation that God requires of us as human beings and particularly as His children. God is faithful and He wants us to resemble Him with this attribute of faithfulness. In our text today, we read about a steward who was found unfaithful and the master was about to sack him, this unfaithful servant then went about from one debtor to another to falsify records in order to please his master. The efforts this steward put up to regain his master’s approval did nothing for the expansion of his master’s business, but the master still commended him. If the unfaithful servant could go to the extent he went in order to remain in service, why can’t the children of light go a greater extent to please our Father in heaven? The conclusion of our Bible reading says:

“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”

Another lesson we can learn from this story is that your upward movement to the next level is predicated upon how well you perform in your present level of operation. Luke 16:11-12 says:

“If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteousness mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s who shall give you that which is your own?”

Beloved, the Lord is interested in promoting you. As a matter of fact, your promotion is long overdue. I am happy to announce to you that this is your time, however, what are you doing with your present level of position? Are you productive or you are hoarding your ideas so that you can have something to use when you come to a leadership position? You are just destroying and delaying your progress if this is your attitude. To be faithful simply means to be full of faith. Do you have faith in the organisation you are working with? You will not be at your best if you don’t have faith in that organisation you work with? Proverbs 22:29 says:

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings he shall not stand before mean men.”

Daniel was a typical faithful steward. This is how he survived four generations of rulers – Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus and Belshazzar. The faithfulness of Mordecai saved the entire Jewish race during the reign of Ahasuerus. My prayer is that you will be highly favoured by the virtue of your faithfulness in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point :

Father, I want to be faithful, please take away from me the spirit of unfaithfulness in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Exodus 4:1-6:13 and Psalms 109:21-31

HEARING FROM GOD

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:8

Read: Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

MESSAGE

One of the illustrations of the Trinity says; God is the Father in Majesty, Jesus is the son in suffering while the Holy Spirit is the Spirit in Striving. Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh among men. He is the one that the Father appointed over all the things He created. In time past, there were different ways that God used to reveal Himself to humanity. He spoke through dreams, or through supernatural happenings. In the present age, the Father communicates to us through His son Jesus Christ. Everyone that seeks for the Father will find Him only through the Son.

Hearing from God. Jesus is the only way through which men can be saved. Everything that God has can be inherited only through the Son. There is no way we can deeply understand the character and nature of God if not revealed through the Son. Through the son, we know how powerful the Father is. Through the son, we know how more than enough the Father is. Through the son we understand how loving and faithful the Father is. The Glory of the Father is radiated to the world through the Son. It is through the omnipotent Word that the universe is being held together. It is through the atoning work of Jesus on the Cross that our sins are purged away.

We have stories of people in the Bible who refused to acknowledge the supremacy of God in their lives. They refused to retain God in their hearts even though they daily enjoyed His works. Because they refused to put God in their hearts, they suffered a lot in the hands of their enemies. They were warned from time to time by prophets of God until they were condemned to captivity. This will never be your portion in Jesus’ name. This is why you must make up your mind for Jesus.

There are people who do not want to hear anything about Jesus. Such people in the times of trouble will have nowhere to hide. If you don’t honour His Word in your life, He will never bring you to the place of honour. The moment someone refuses to open up his or her heart to Jesus, the devil will take over such a life. The children of Israel refused to hearken to the will of God and the Lord chastised them by allowing their enemies to take them to captivity. When you allow the Word of God in your life, it will transform you into the image of God.
2nd Timothy 3:16 says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

One of the ways to harden ones heart is to refuse to accept and obey the will of God, when one’s emotions and intellect isn’t under the control of the Almighty God. Those who do not accept the Word of God in their lives will always provoke God to rise in judgment against them.

If the judgment of God comes upon an individual, he may be left to wander in the wilderness of life. Accepting Jesus is accepting the Word of God into your life. It is finding rest for your soul.

Prayer Point:

Father, help me not to harden my heart to your Word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 48-50 and Psalms 108

GOD'S KIND OF LOVE

 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Read: John 15:7-13

15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

MESSAGE

God is love; He dwells in love; He acts in love; He judges in love. Everything around God is love. In our text for the day, we are confronted with God's kind of love demonstrated through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ affirms the quality of God's kind of love that He represents when he said:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

Now, as beneficiaries of this great love, we are obliged to show this kind of love to our Maker and most importantly to our neighbours.

It is wisdom for us to love the One who loves us at least for two reasons. One; when we love someone that loves us, he keeps on loving us the more. Secondly, the love that is not reciprocated will grow sour. Even God stops loving those who do not return His love. Proverbs 8:17 says:
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

How can we love a God that we do not see? We can, by loving our neighbours, Matthew 25:35, 37, 40 says:
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in... Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

John the beloved apostle went further to teach us how to love our God in practical terms 1 John 4:19-21:
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"

May the good Lord give us the grace to show our love to Him through our neighbours.

Prayer Point:

Father, give me your own kind of love. I want to live for you and Your Church.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 46-47
Psalms 107:33-43

HEARING FROM GOD

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:8

Read: Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV)

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

MESSAGE

One of the illustrations of the Trinity says; God is the Father in Majesty, Jesus is the son in suffering while the Holy Spirit is the Spirit in Striving. Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh among men. He is the one that the Father appointed over all the things He created. In time past, there were different ways that God used to reveal Himself to humanity. He spoke through dreams, or through supernatural happenings. In the present age, the Father communicates to us through His son Jesus Christ. Everyone that seeks for the Father will find Him only through the Son.

Hearing from God. Jesus is the only way through which men can be saved. Everything that God has can be inherited only through the Son. There is no way we can deeply understand the character and nature of God if not revealed through the Son. Through the son, we know how powerful the Father is. Through the son, we know how more than enough the Father is. Through the son we understand how loving and faithful the Father is. The Glory of the Father is radiated to the world through the Son. It is through the omnipotent Word that the universe is being held together. It is through the atoning work of Jesus on the Cross that our sins are purged away.

We have stories of people in the Bible who refused to acknowledge the supremacy of God in their lives. They refused to retain God in their hearts even though they daily enjoyed His works. Because they refused to put God in their hearts, they suffered a lot in the hands of their enemies. They were warned from time to time by prophets of God until they were condemned to captivity. This will never be your portion in Jesus’ name. This is why you must make up your mind for Jesus.

There are people who do not want to hear anything about Jesus. Such people in the times of trouble will have nowhere to hide. If you don’t honour His Word in your life, He will never bring you to the place of honour. The moment someone refuses to open up his or her heart to Jesus, the devil will take over such a life. The children of Israel refused to hearken to the will of God and the Lord chastised them by allowing their enemies to take them to captivity. When you allow the Word of God in your life, it will transform you into the image of God.
2nd Timothy 3:16 says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

One of the ways to harden ones heart is to refuse to accept and obey the will of God, when one’s emotions and intellect isn’t under the control of the Almighty God. Those who do not accept the Word of God in their lives will always provoke God to rise in judgment against them.

If the judgment of God comes upon an individual, he may be left to wander in the wilderness of life. Accepting Jesus is accepting the Word of God into your life. It is finding rest for your soul.

Prayer Point:

Father, help me not to harden my heart to your Word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 48-50 and Psalms 108

DELIVERANCE MADE SIMPLE

 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Read: John 8:31-36

8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

MESSAGE

Deliverance constitutes a serious challenge in many Christian circles. In my personal experience, I have discovered that demons bow out easily wherever there is the manifest presence of the Lord. Wherever that God is, there is an aura that is unmistakably evident; that aura is the Glory of His presence. For most people who have had a definite experience with God, it is only the glory of God that they could access. Only very few like Moses could go a little further.

The truth remains that the presence of God wields the same power as the Personality of God because where God's Presence is, God Himself is. Several things are possible in His presence, one of which is that idols and the powers behind them not only bow but also surrender. A classic example of this is documented in 1 Samuel 5:1-5. In this account, the nation of Israel fought the Philistines and God gave them into the hands of their enemies because of their disobedience, the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken into the house of Dagon- the national diety of the Philistines.
This Dagon was a huge image, but it fell down before the Ark of the Convenant which represented the Presence of God. Initially, the priests of Dagon thought it was a mistake and put the image back up. But by the following morning, they were convinced beyond reasonable doubts that their idol was bowing to the God of gods.

Some Christians are afraid of entering into a shrine to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It only shows that they do not know what they have inside of them. If you know who you are carrying, there will be no need to fear any idol. If you truly carry the Glory of God and you step into a shrine, they will immediately fish you out and would be uncomfortable until you leave. If you don't leave, a lot of things will go wrong. In a local community where women were forbidden to go out during a particular Idol festival and men were equally harassed, a brother went to the headquarters of the idol worshippers at the peak of their festival to preach Jesus to them. These idol worshippers knew that it could only mean the brother carried a dangerous power for him to have the boldness to walk into their midst. Are you being threatened with some idol and you are afraid? If you are truly a child of God, you should be feared and not the other way round. Are U confronted with a demon possessed person that needs deliverance? Ask God to increase His presence in your life today and you will become a threat to demons.

Prayer Point:

Father, make me bold enough to preach the gospel even before demons in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 44-45
Psalms 107:23-32

DEALING WITH ANCESTRAL CURSES II

 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:14

Read: Colossians 2:14 (KJV)

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Message

Ancestral curses are said to be in operation when a terrible problem persistently runs through generations with a family. For example, an uncontrollable anger or promiscuity may be noticed in a teenager and on investigation; such is traced to the parents and grandparents.

Many people today live under bondage as a result of their forefathers’ sins. Exodus 34:7 says:

“….visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

However, the moment God comes into such lives, things change dramatically. When God is in control of your life, it will be evident through the tremendous peace that will calm your storms, but when the devil rules the life of an individual, there will be total confusion. 1st Corinthians 14:33 says God has nothing to do with confusion. When the devil takes over the life of a man, everything will turn upside down. Instead of wearing clothes, he will walk about Unclad. Instead of wearing decent clothes, he will put on rags. The one who finds it uncomfortable to wear decent clothes capable of covering his or her unclothedness surely has gone nuts.

In Luke 8:26-33, after Satan took control of the Gadarene man’s life, he left his bed for the graveyard. He abandoned decent clothes for rags. If one wears clothes that expose what should be covered, it is evident that such a fellow is losing his or her mind to the devil. This Gadarene demoniac began to inflict wounds on himself. He was crying out of pain yet couldn’t stop himself. When people engage in things that can destroy them, it means their heads are besieged. The warning that smoking is injurious to a man’s health is not enough to stop a smoker from indulging in the act because his head has been taken over by demons. Anyone who uses mind-bending substances such as Indian hemp, cocaine, alcohol, cigarette or powerful capsules is living in a spiritual graveyard. Besides, this man was violent, he could not be controlled. He rebelled against reason, he was wild. If you find it difficult to submit to authority or comply with simple rules, examine yourself. The state of the head is revealed by the conduct of the body. No matter how refined an individual is, if something is wrong with the head, it will show. What is the state of your head? Is it well with your head?

Prayer Point:

Father, please completely destroy the power of ancestral curses in my life in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 42-43 and Psalms 107:10-22

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: 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.

DEALING WITH ANCESTRAL CURSES I

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Galatians 3:13

Read: Colossians 2:14-18 (KJV)

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

MESSAGE

Many people are suffering from curses which they know nothing about because the cause of the curses took place a very long time ago in their lineage. As a matter of fact, if you think you haven’t inherited any lineage curse, you should remember that of Adam and Eve, from who we inherited pain, hunger, sickness and death. We must deal with these curses if we want to live a meaningful and fulfilled life. In our memory verse for today, we are assured of a way of dealing with ancestral curses. Curses, including the one we inherited from Adam and Eve, are being dealt with by the work of redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was made a curse for us so that we can be delivered from the terrible consequences of sin and curses. Christ was to be made a sin and a curse; He felt the agony of this exercise and played asking if the deal could be amended:

“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless no my will, but thine, be done.”
Luke 22:41-42

Jesus Christ went to the Cross with the age-long curses upon humanity. However, Jesus endured to the end and cried “It is finished”, that is, the price of the curse has been paid in full. Hence, the human race was liberated. This is the reality which Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ described in Colossians 2:14-15

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Beloved, if you want to effectively deal with the ancestral curses in your life, there is only one way and Jesus is that Way. He is the Lamb of God that is worthy to liberate you from the Devil. The Bible says He is the only One that is qualified to open the seal of freedom (Revelation 5:1-14). Today, I advise you to surrender your life totally to Jesus Christ if you have not done so. He will make a public show of those demonic influences hovering over your life and you will be free and blessed.

Prayer Point:

Father, I plead the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb that was slain for my deliverance and I break my link with my demonic past in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 40-41 and Psalms 107:1-9

THE VISION OF HEAVEN

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7

Read: Revelation 21:1-7 (KJV)

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

MESSAGE

You cannot overcome the trials and temptations of life, if you have not caught the vision of heaven. It is the vision of heaven that will encourage, stimulate and empower you to forge ahead as you violently take the Kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12). There is a popular saying: “What you see is what you get”. The underlying truth in this statement is that you cannot aspire for what has not been introduced into your consciousness. I told some of my children in a meeting many years ago, that the reason my father did not struggle to build a house with bathrooms and toilets was that he had never seen a house with toilets and bathrooms.

One of the secrets of the dogged determination of the early disciples to make it to heaven was that most of them saw a vision of heaven. This is the reason why Stephen for example, prayed that his executioners’ actions won’t be counted against them. He caught a vision of heaven with Jesus Christ giving him a standing ovation for being a hero of faith (Acts 7:55-56, 60)

In our Bible reading for today, another prominent leader of the early Church, John the beloved, saw the vision of heaven and narrated what he saw and heard. In heaven, there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying and pain. Having seen all these and heard a great voice out of heaven saying such pleasant things that shall soon come to pass, the Church was determined to lay down their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. As if that was not enough, Jesus Christ in Revelation 21:6-7 said:

“…. It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

When a child of God sees a vision of heaven, he will not need much persuasion to do more than he is currently doing in the Kingdom business of soul-winning and holy living. The reason is that it is only those that overcome that shall inherit the beautiful heavenly Jerusalem. My life never remained the same ever since I started seeing my heavenly home. This is why I cannot be persuaded to slow down in the Kingdom business. Like Apostle Paul, I am still pressing towards the mark of the high calling of God. What about you?

Prayer Point:

Father, open my eyes to see a vision of heaven today in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 35:1-37:11 and Psalms 106:13-31

BEWARE OF DECEIVERS I

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2nd Timothy 3:16
Read: 2nd Timothy 3:1-8,
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
Message
A deceiver is someone who practices deceit as means of seducing, misleading, or giving false impressions to people. A deceiver would try to impose a false idea that causes bewilderment, helplessness, or confusion in people’s mind. Every act of deception is a direct attack against the truth for the purpose of distorting the original creative order and position of things by the Almighty God. Deception is therefore the devil’s invention which has been carefully designed to create doubts and questions about the credibility of God in the hearts of men. This is the reason why deceit is condemned by God as an attempt to deny His sovereignty and the revelation of Himself. After the devil’s successful attack on Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1-7, God repeatedly warned humanity about the subtlety of Satan and his false prophets. Matthew 24:11 says;
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
The whole of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is full of similar warnings about the deliberate plot of
devil to send his evil agents of deception in form of false prophets and heretic teachers into the world, in order to deceive and mislead many. These deadly agents of deception have perfected the means of attacking unsuspecting individuals from two seemingly harmless fronts. One of their tactics is to preach the gospel of the alternative. They claim to be serving the same God through another saviour, and therefore present their religion as a better alternative to Christianity that only has the appearance of the Christian religion on the surface, but is full of heresy, ungodliness, and immorality in actual practice. To this end 1st Timothy 4:1-2
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
In the above passage, the Word of God is making it very clear to us that the activities of these agents of darkness will become very concentrated and effective in the latter days, such that it will cause some believers to depart from the faith. This will happen because those affected would commit the error of giving heed to seducing spirits. They would be seduced through the preaching of other gospels, the gospel of relativism, modernism and post-modernism, and through attractive motivational messages. To counter the evil, we must turn to 2nd Timothy 3:16. God has given us all scripture by His inspiration, to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, dangerous heretic teachings are in the air, but anyone that abides in the Word of God, can never be deceived. Be warned.
Prayer Point:
Father, please don’t let me ever give heed to seducing spirits in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 9:21-10:42 and Job 24:9-20

NARROW IS THE WAY

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14 Read: Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
MESSAGE
Making it to heaven isn’t an easy thing to achieve. It makes a firm decision to make it there irrespective of what others may be doing. Those engaged in self-righteousness, laziness and hypocrisy will not find a place in heaven. There are many people who are heading for destruction because they refuse to obey the commandment of the Almighty God. They do just what they want, but on the last day, the judgement of God will not spare them because nobody can escape that day. This is why you have to be serious with your Christian walk. Confessing that Christ is our Lord is not sufficient to earn us a place in the kingdom of God. Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10 said:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.”
There is a higher expectation from those who will make it to the kingdom of God, and this is why we need to understand that we need the help of the Almighty God. Jesus said there are people who profess Him as Lord everywhere they go, but not all of them will make it to His Kingdom. Are you a Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher, Apostle or an intercessor? All these are not sufficient to make one enter into the Kingdom. In other words, you can have all these titles and still miss the narrow way if your life is not in line with the pattern of Christ.
Are you still living your life as a natural man? If yes, you cannot go through the narrow way. The natural man will have to be redeemed through the Blood of Jesus before he can access the narrow way. Those who are not living their lives in accordance to the dictate of God cannot make it through the narrow way. Those who are still slaves to sin are far from the narrow way. The way to eternal life is for those who are redeemed through the Blood of the Lamb and have crucified their flesh. They have become alive to the realm of the spirit. The narrow way is for those who are walking in the spirit and are no longer fulfilling the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). You have to make up your mind to be free from every bondage of sin and condemnation of the devil. Your life will have to be directed by the Holy Spirit, so that you are no longer ruled by your natural desires. Only those who manifest the fruits of the spirit in their lives will be able to go through the narrow way. If any of the fruit is absent in your life, there is an urgent need to do a self-appraisal before it becomes too late. The narrow gate is for those who know Christ and have lived their lives for Him. If your life is not confronting to the purpose for which He died, then you have to run to the cross for salvation.
Prayer Point:
Father by your grace, please help me to make it on the last day.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 29:30 and Psalms 105:1-15

ETERNAL LIFE STARTS HERE

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in
thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept,
and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition;
that the scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:12
Read: John 17:9-12
17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me; for they are
thine.
17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
and I am glorified in them.
17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but
these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy
Father, keep through thine own name those whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we
are.
17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept
them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I
have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son
of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
MESSAGE
In our Bible reading, Jesus explained that those
that the Father gave to Him have been safely
kept and there was none that was missing except
the son of perdition. Children of perdition are
those who revolt against the teachings and
guidance of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ kept the
disciples in the faith and His labour over them
was not in vain. Today, we see the evidences of
that investment through the spread of the gospel
from one nation to another. This is possible
because of the labour of the Apostles who were
first commissioned to spread this good news.
When you follow Jesus through and through, He
will keep you from falling into the persecution to
your enemies. They will try all their best to trap
you, but the Almighty God will always deliver you
from their traps. One truth we must always
remember is that we are weak and we cannot
keep ourselves. This is why it is very important to
be a partner with Jesus. Once you leave your life
in His care, you can be sure that your blessing is
guaranteed in Him. The Almighty God will keep
you in Jesus' name.
There are sons of perdition that will refuse to be
kept by Jesus Christ. They will always
intentionally disobey the instructions of the
father. They are usually referred to as rebellious
children who will not allow their lives to be
governed by the truth in the Word of God. When a
person who has been in God decides to forget his
creator and also refuses the assembly of
brethren, such a person is already lost. It is not
good for one to be left alone. Demas was left
alone because he had given his heart to the
world. Lot's wife looked back and she became
forgotten. The sons of Eli did not fulfil their
destiny despite the fact they had all the
opportunities to succeed in life. Children of
perdition are those who have not said goodbye to
sin. They are still living in sin and sin is a
destroyer not a builder. Sin separates people from
the blessings of God; it does not attract them to
the place of God. At salvation, God comes inside
of you and turns your journey towards perdition
to the path of eternal life. This means that you
and God are on the same page, and you are
running away from those things that will affect
His relationship with you. If you resist His will,
you will not be a partaker of His Glory. This is
why you have to leave behind all those things
hindering you from serving God and surrender all
to Him. Judgement is coming; to be forewarned
is to be forearmed. Tomorrow may be too late.
There is still an opportunity for you to rededicate
your life. God rewards those who allow their lives
to be guided by Him with pleasant blessings and
assurances of security. Those who refuse the
government of Jesus have already exposed
themselves to the wickedness of this world. You
will not miss it in Jesus' name.
Prayer Point:
Father let nothing take me away from you in
Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 27-28
Psalms 104:19-35
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.

HOLIDAY IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK?

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62 Read: Ezekiel 3:20
3:20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
MESSAGE
God's ultimate purpose for saving people is to make them true worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He wants souls that will conform to the image of His son, Jesus Christ. The will of the Almighty God for us is not just that we stand out in life. For our Christian walk to be commended by the host of heaven, we need to remain focused and committed to the end. We should not allow the things of this world to deter us from the pursuit of true worship. Anyone who has said "goodbye" to the world should never go back. You cannot afford to go on a holiday during your Christian walk. Don't create an opportunity for the devil and his demons to access your life. Continue to dwell in the presence of God through witnessing, the study of His Word, in prayers and in fasting. Lot's wife missed it because she could not let go of her worldly affection. She did not make progress and she became a pillar of salt. This will not be your portion in Jesus' name. Have you been walking with the Lord passionately and you are getting tired? You need to check your life. If you quit, then you have lived for nothing. Those who begin the work of God must resolve in their hearts to go all the way. Every time you look back, is tantamount to taking a holiday and it is very dangerous because that is the window through which the devil will strike.
His mission is kill, to steal and destroy the lives of those who have separated themselves for Jesus. As long as you remain in Christ, you are secure. Looking back is drawing back and drawing back is moving towards perdition. Heaven is only for those who can endure to the end.
Heaven is for overcomers and Jesus is our only way there. Hence, there should be no room for sin in the life of anyone who wishes to make it to heaven. As long as your mind is made up, there should be no going back to the past. A moment of ungodly pleasure will destroy a life of testimonies. Joseph refused to take a break with his master's wife; he ran and delivered himself from the devil's trap. Don't look back to those things you have dropped for the sake of Christ. Apostle Paul counted his achievements as dung. He pursued Christ till the very last moment. A disciple is a person with a singular focus, under one master. He must possess a single eye and live a single life. As long as you still have a mind for the world, you cannot be a candidate for His glory. One desire uppermost in my mind is to see believers live a life of excellence that demonstrates the magnificence of heaven. This can only happen when you walk in the revelation of 1 John 4:17; "because as he is, so are we in this world". The one who wins will only be crowned if he runs with focus. You must run according to the rules of God. You have to forget the past and press forward for fresh victories in Christ Jesus. The zeal in our hearts must be so great that nothing will hinder us from fulfilling the plans and purpose of God for our lives. You cannot afford to stop running until you are called up into glory. Endure to the very end.
Key Point:
Heaven is for great finishers not good starters.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 25-26
Psalms 104:1-18
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.

FACING TRIALS OF FAITH?

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. John 16:33

Read: Hebrews 11:36-40

11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

MESSAGE

There are several challenges that will confront us as we progress in the journey of faith, but none of them will dominate us. As a child of God, when you pass through the fire, the mighty man in battle has promised that it will not burn you. At one point or the other, your faith will be tried; your love for God will be tested. There will be persecutions of all kinds. Because of your belief in Christ, people will say all kinds of things against you. There will be false accusations despite your level of commitment to your assignment. No matter how good your intentions may be, sometimes, they may be spoken of in an evil way. Many times these tribulations, trials and persecutions will come from quarters you least expect. You should not be bothered because the same people who hailed the triumphant entry of Jesus were the same people, who said to Pilate, crucify him. Have you been persecuted because of your faith and your holy living? I congratulate you, because you are fulfilling your part of the Christian calling. You have to know that the hostility of the world against believers in Christ Jesus is a transferred hostility. We are not the first set of people to be hated; the world hates us because they hated Jesus Christ. Despite the innocence of the young shepherd boy, king Saul attempted to kill him several times. You need to know that even in the household of faith, there are king Sauls. They are ready to kill you, not because you have committed any crime, but because they are uncomfortable with your standard of righteous living. On several occasions, Jesus Christ, before his final persecution on earth, was persecuted by the people listening to Him in the synagogue. They did not like the way He was preaching with so much authority. And they always rose up against His good acts. What should you do in times of trials, tribulations and persecutions? You must rejoice in the Lord.
When Paul was going through persecution, rather than murmur and complain, he fellowshipped. No wonder he could say:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romas 8:35, 37

He said this despite the fact that he was beaten with rods, he was stoned, he suffered shipwreck, and he was kept in the deep prisons. He suffered in the hands of robbers as well as in the hands of his countrymen. False brethren also surrounded him. There were times when situations and circumstances of weariness, hunger, nakednes and the cares of his missionary obligation threatened to discourage him, yet he finished well.
You will finish well in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point:

Father, give me victory over every trial I come across.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 24
Psalms 103:11-22

ACTIVATING THE GLORY OF GOD

Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God. John 11:40

Read: John 11:39-44

11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

MESSAGE

God is the only one who has the final say over your life; He will never permit any unpleasant situation to have a final say in your life nor allow your life to be at the mercy of people. He decides what happens to you at every given point in time because He is the Alpha and the Omega. If anybody ever tells you it is over, I congratulate you, because God is about to open a new chapter in your life that will amaze the world. Does your case seem hopeless like that of Lazarus? I prophecy into your life; you are next in line for a miracle. Have you been married for all these years and you have no child? Welcome to your morning of fruitfulness. Simon Peter was a professional fisherman, he knew when the fishes would be in the river and he went with the right equipment, yet he struggled all night without a breakthrough. You have satisfied all requirements for that position, yet there is no positive response, I decree a supernatural lifting of every embargo placed upon your breakthrough in Jesus' name.

Believing what God says about the condition we are going through is very vital to our walk as Christians. When we believe the Word of God, we are expressing our confidence and trust in His divine attribute. There is nothing beyond Him. Martha had already given up on Lazarus. According to her, Jesus' coming was unnecessary because the situation had gone past what He could do anything about. She consoled herself with the fact that on the day of resurrection, she would see her brother again, but she did not recognise that the resurrection is not a period but a person. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. This is why you cannot afford to continue in sin. If you want to activate the glory of God in your life, you have to know Him.

To activate the glory of God, you must have faith in His Word. Faith is an act that produces an evidence of His glory. Faith is what gives meaning to your calling as a child of God. You need faith to do exploit in life. You need faith to win all the battles of life. In the atmosphere of faith, nothing is impossible for you. God dwells in the realms of the supernatural and anyone who will be able to access His glory must operate beyond the normal realm. If we take the Word of Jesus Christ and rely absolutely on His power and faithfulness, we shall see a daily occurrence of the glory of God in all our ways.

You must learn to always look beyond the grave and lift your eyes to God Almighty. Overlook all the reports, conditions, difficulties and obstacles. Lift up your eyes to the Lord in prayer, in praise, in worship and in fasting, and you will be surprised at what the Lord will do. There is no solution elsewhere; the real glory is in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Point:

Father, let your glory be made manifest in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 21-23
Psalms 103:1-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: DEEPER, DEEPER

Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

Chorus:

Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

Chorus:

Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Chorus:

Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

GOD OF VENGEANCE

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 25:12-17

25:12 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;

25:13 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.

25:14 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.

25:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;

25:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.

25:17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

MESSAGE

God is against His children repaying evil to those who have done them evil. It is not in the place of any genuine child of God to seek revenge.
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:9

No one can avenge like God. This is why I don't worry myself about my enemies, I just report them to my Father and I leave the rest to Him. When God fights your enemies, even you who was hurt will begin to pity them. This is because there is no one that can stand the anger of the Almighty God. Anytime you are trying to revenge, you are already playing God and the consequence is unbearable. Society may tell you to do otherwise. Reasoning may tell you to repay evil in return for the wrong done to you, but the scripture demands that you act differently. You are an ambassador of Christ, you are a peace maker, and you must do everything to proof that. In the world, people are taught to seek revenge, but the opposite is expected from the children of God. We should hand over those who have hurt us to God. Moses handed over the rebels to God. Joseph handed over his elder brothers to God. Job forgave his accusers and left them to their conscience.

It is even possible that some people within your team will for no reason antagonise all your actions and intents. They may show you so much hatred and make every move to work against the plan of God for your life. Some will habour hatred just because the Lord is prospering you. Some may wish you bad, and go to the extent of including such wishes in their prayer points. But you must not fight for yourself; just allow them to face the great Avenger. We must be harmless and inoffensive so that we don't give people reasons to quarrel with us. We must labour to preserve peace. The world hated Christ without a cause, yet he died for them. When they brought Him before Pontius Pilate, they could not find any blame against Him, yet they demanded that He must be crucified. This is the same Jesus who chose to love an unloving world. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He is called the judge of Israel (Micah 5:1). If He takes over your case, your enemies are in serious trouble. If He decides to advocate on your behalf, there can never be any appeal against His verdict. When He decides to be your witness, you can be sure that He will put all of them to shame. Is anybody troubling your peace in your home, office, neighborhood, school, the Almighty God will put them where they belong in Jesus' name. No matter what the enemy does, your prosperity, progress, provision and security is guaranteed in Him. The enemy that has lifted himself against you and all the voices that are fighting against your glorious destiny shall be truncated in Jesus' name. The Lord will show up for you and take over all the battles of your life, and you can be sure that victory is yours. The most important thing is to stay on the Lord's side.

Key Point:

When the Lord is on your side, you can sleep with your two eyes closed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 18:22-20:18
Psalms 102:16-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master's will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fire burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY?

MEMORISE : But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. PHILIPPIANS 3 : 7.

READ : PHILIPPIANS 3 : 10 - 15 :

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and
the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already
perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which
also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 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,

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 any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this
unto you.

MESSAGE :

In the category of the early Apostles, Apostle Paul could be called a latecomer. He was not privileged to be among the direct disciples of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, this latecomer did more exploit than all the Apostles that were before him. By the time he was through with his period of preparation, the handkerchief of Paul was already performing wonders. It is not how early you begin that matters, but your level of commitment, determination and the amount of sacrifice you make for God. Apostle Paul made a rugged determination to forget his societal status, he left his profession because he knew that time was not on his side. It is not great events that make great people, but great decisions. Apostle Paul decided to count all his gains as loss for the sake of Christ. He abandoned all the self-glory and carried his cross and followed Jesus. The reason why many people have not been able to manifest the way God expects them to is that they are not ready to burn the bridges behind them.

To become a divine champion, you must take a rugged determination to set your priorities in order, while others are wasting their time with frivolities, you must invest your time in personal spiritual development. The future belongs to those who prepare for it. You have to set your mind on certain things you want to see happen in your life. Apostle Paul pursued his goals relentlessly and nothing ever distracted him from the ultimate picture. There are many people who are far from their miracles because they have refused to let go. There is nothing I left for the sake of the ministry that God has not compensated me for with something much better. You have to make up your mind to forget those average goals and press forward for greater exploits in life. I made up my mind a very long time ago that I would not be an ordinary person. The choice is yours, to be or not to be? I made up my mind that I will be God’s choice forever. This is why I cannot take the grace of God upon my life for granted, because I know that the moment you remove God from my life, there will be nothing left. You must make up your mind that your priorities will be set right. Crave excellence and don’t settle for less. Be a standard for the world to behold in holiness and righteousness. Make up your mind that no matter what the cost is, you will pay it to be God’s favourite.

One thing you can be sure of is that nobody ever gives up something for Christ and not be rewarded here on earth with the assurance of eternity.

There is nothing in this world that can ever be measured with the salvation that comes through Jesus. In comparison, there is no basis for comparing the worth of this world to the reward of eternal life. The glory of God that would be revealed to us is far beyond any possible acquisition by the works of man.

PRAYER POINT : Father, let my life be lived for Your glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 15 : 1 - 18 : 21 AND PSALMS 102 : 1 - 15.

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.