BE THANKFUL

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4

Read: Luke 17:11-19 (KJV)

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

MESSAGE:

One great expectation of the Almighty God is that man, whom He created in His image and likeness, will appreciate His benevolent deeds to them. It is unfortunate, however, that from generation to generation man has been ungrateful. This is even more pronounced in these last days (Romans 1:21, 2nd Timothy 3:2). From today’s reading, we can see how expectant our Heavenly Father is for us to express appreciation whenever He does us good. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to show us the character of the Father, revealed this expectation to us through His reaction when only one leper returned to say “Glory to God in the highest”, even though ten were healed.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”
Luke 17:17-18

When we fail to appreciate God for who He is and for what He continuously does for us, we rob Him of His rightful glory and honour. Indeed, ingratitude is an act of robbery against God. It is also dangerous, because your joy cannot be full if you are unthankful. Of the ten lepers that were healed, the only one we can consider to have received the fullness of joy is the one who returned to give glory to God, because Jesus crowned his healing with wholeness.

There is another dimension to being grateful to God, which has to do with our appreciation of what He did for us when He gave His only begotten Son as atonement for our sins. The only way to show our gratitude for this gift is to accept His offer of salvation, which is free for us but which cost the life of the immaculate Son of God. We must embrace this offer with every sense of gratitude because there are consequences for rejecting it. Hebrews 2:3 says,

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed into us by them that heard him;”

Beloved, the most profound gratitude we can show God, for all the things He has done for us, is to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to live by the ideals He brought from His Father. God bless you as you do so today.

Prayer Point:

Father, I thank you for the salvation of my soul through Christ, my Lord. Help me to live by His teachings to the glory of your Holy Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 7 and Isaiah 24:21-25:12

SINGLED OUT

 And many leper were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. Luke 4:27

Read: Luke 4:25-27 (KJV)

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

MESSAGE:

When God opens treasures to you but blinds your enemies from seeing them, the experience is simply wonderful. However, when your tomorrow becomes permanently settled for good, it is even more wonderful. This is what the Lord sent His word to do in Isaiah 3:10:

“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

Beloved, if you are genuinely born again and in right standing before God, no matter what the devil does, no matter how hard he fights against you, and no matter the number of forces that gather together to stand in your way, you will prevail at the end. Sometimes, God keeps quite and allows your enemies to believe that they have the upper-hand against you; but just when they think it is all over for you, the Lord will suddenly arise on your behalf and bring them under your feet. Also, never think that your labours are in vain. They are not! God keeps a record of them. that you did not enter your harvest today does not mean your harvest is lost forever. You shall not lose your harvest! There can only be some delay, some temporary setback, but you will enter your harvest. Have you been separated from your harvest for so long? This season, the Lord will arise for you, scatter all the impediments on your way and give you a great harvest, in Jesus’ Name.

Beloved, it shall be well with you. Your tomorrow shall be alright. Your tomorrow is secured in God and not in your nation’s economy.

When God prospers you to the level where you can say, “By the grace of God, I now have enough to take care of me and my family for the rest of our lives”, then that can be described as being even more wonderful. Beyond this, the experience of the widow of Zarephath in 1st Kings 17:8-16 can be described as most wonderful because, of all the households in a country suffering a nationwide famine, this widow’s household was the only one singled out for favour. The miracle of divine provision was limited to her particular household alone. When you are singled out this way, the negative things that affect others will not affect you. Also, the good things that other cannot get, no matter how hard they try, will be yours with little or no effort. This year, the Lord will single you out for protection against any form of famine, disease or pestilence. The Lord will single you out for an uncommon blessing that will leave your enemies in the dark in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point

Pray that the youths of your nation will get to know God and serve Him with all that they have.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 4-5 and Isaiah 23

TAMING THE COBRA

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Read: Luke 19:1-10 (KJV)

1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

MESSAGE:

There are so many wonderful things to know about the person of God the Son. His uniqueness is summarised in Colossians 2:9:

“For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

He came to this world in the form of flesh to demonstrate the character of the 3 personalities found in the person of God. This means that if you want to know more about all the other persons of the Godhead, all you need to do is to take a close look at Jesus. He is the Great Physician who can heal all sicknesses and diseases. He is the One who can set the captives free and destroy all the works of the devil. Most importantly for us, He is the Saviour (Matthew 1:21). When He visited Zacchaeus, He declared to him that He had come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). His blood cleanses from all sins (1st John 1:7), and it is only through His Name that we can be saved (Acts 4:12)

Several years ago, I visited an African nation and my host began to tell me about a particular government minister of that nation who was a very terrible man. He had killed quite a number of people and was so vicious that he was nicknamed “the Cobra”. When he said that, the Holy Spirit immediately told me to go and preach to him. I told my host, “I need to go and preach to the Cobra.” He looked at me in disbelief and said, “Sir, it appears you do not understand what I have been saying.” Then I replied, “If he is as bad as you say he is, then he needs salvation, and no other person can save him but Jesus.” My host reluctantly agreed to take me to his house, but he told me that he would stay back in the car. “If I wait for one hour and you do not come out, I will drive off”, he said. I agreed, and asked him to call the Cobra and inform him that a prophet is coming from Nigeria with a message for him. When I met the Cobra at his house, I said to him, “Sir, I have a message for you from the Lord.” “What message?” He asked. “Your days are numbered, your judgment is at hand, your cup is about to overflow, but the Almighty God has sent me to tell you that despite all your atrocities, He still loves you.” Within 15 minutes of talking, the Cobra was on his knees asking how he could be saved. Every “cobra” in your life shall be arrested today in Jesus’ Name! However, one effective way of doing this is by introducing Jesus Christ the Saviour to your enemies. I know this is the last thing some people will want to do. If you lead your enemies to the Saviour, you will have rest because they will become your defence and supporters. Don’t stop until all your enemies are saved.

Action Point:

If all your enemies are saved, you will experience progress without constraints. Pray for their salvation today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 2-3 and Isaiah 22:5-25

FIND OUT THE CAUSE

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 1st Corinthians 11: 29

1st Corinthians 11:27-32 (KJV)

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

MESSAGE:

Sin has wages for anyone who partakes in it (Romans 6:23). The word of God is so true about this. Do you know that the occurrence of most sicknesses and diseases can be traced to the problem of sin? As a child of God, if you find yourself sick at anytime, it is proper to first check yourself and be sure that sin is not secretly doing its dirty work on you. There are times when I have prayed from my heart for the sick and some of them either remained sick or even died. At such times, I returned to God to ask what could be wrong. “Lord”, I would ask, “What is happening? I have done what you asked me to do. You said these signs shall follow the believers, and that if I lay my hands on the sick they shall recover; why is it that these ones have failed to recover?” The response I often got was “Son, you don’t know the full story.” In other words, sin was secretly at play in some of those cases.

Several years ago, I was invited to pray for a certain chief in Ogun State, Nigeria, who was sick. When I got there, I asked him if he was a Christian, and he responded in the affirmative. “Are you born-again?” “Yes, I am a child of God” was his reply. Then I assured him that he was going to get well. I prayed, but nothing happened. I sent two of my prayer warriors under strict conditions to pray and fast for seven days interceding for this man, but nothing happened. Thereafter, I myself decided to go on a 21-day fast for him, but that night, the Lord told me it was good to fast, but not for this chief, because he was not going to be healed. “Lord”, I protested, “He told me he is a believer.” The Lord told me to ask him seven simple questions that every born-again Christian would find easy to answer. When I did, he realised that certain events that were shrouded in secrecy were out. I asked him if he had repented of a particular incident over which he had a case in court. He had drowned the boat of some witnesses who were on their way to testify against him in court. To keep this secret ever got out, he had poisoned the fellow who drowned the boat for him. if the secret ever got out, he would have lost the court case. Instead of repenting of these grievous sins, he simply warned me not to visit his house again. Are you sick? Is that sickness caused by a hidden sin you haven’t confessed?

There is a particular user of this devotional who has been battling with one sickness or the other. If you can trace it carefully, you will realise it started when you began to steal money from your church. Repent and restitute your ways, and you will be healed.

Prayer Point

Father, have mercy on all my unsaved family members; save them and heal all of their sicknesses.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :Luke 1 and Isaiah 21:1-22:4

AFTER SOWING DON’T SLEEP

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: Isaiah 55:10

Read: Genesis 15:5-18

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Message

When our Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth, in several of His parables, He used the principles of farming to teach His disciples about how God’s Kingdom operates. It is therefore important for us to apply the knowledge of farming principles in our quest to obtain a good harvest from God’s Kingdom. Isaiah 55:10 gives us some insight in this regard.

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:”

From this verse of Scripture, we understand that God is the one who gives seed to the sower. He gives you seed, and He expects you to sow it. Never eat your seed! Even physical seeds usually taste bitter or unpalatable to the taste but because they were not designed to be eaten in the first place. May God give you the grace to sow all the seeds you need to sow in order to generate your desired harvests!

Besides giving the sower seed, God also gives the eater bread. There is food for the eater and seed for the sower. After sowing, God expects you to water the seed. Don’t go to sleep after sowing your seed – get ready for some really hard work. As a farmer’s son, I can tell you a few things about farming. Before you can even sow, you have to clear the ground and build heaps. After sowing, you have to do some weeding. As your seed is germinating, weeds will begin to grow alongside; you have to get rid of these. While it may be easy to sow, it is not easy to weed. One fellow can sow on a vast expanse of land, but it will be very difficult for the same fellow to clear that land all by himself. To obtain a quality harvest, God expects you to fellow sound farming principles. Learn from the farmer! Not every harvest is meant for the stomach. Some must be kept aside for the next planting season. After you have sown your seed, water it with prayer, fasting and thanksgiving. After Abraham offered a sacrifice to God, he did not go to sleep. He stood there watching, waiting for God to receive it. While he waited, he saw some birds descending on his sacrifice in order to destroy it. He drove them away and thereafter the fire fell. You can weed your spiritual farm after sowing seeds by living righteously before God. The devil will come craftily to introduce tares of sin into your life so as to destroy your harvest. Hence, after sowing, you must remain holy, prayerful, thankful and completely obedient in order to enter into your harvest.

Key Point:

If you sleep after sowing a seed, your harvest may be a disappointment. Watch over your seed prayerfully.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Mark 15-16 and Isaiah 19:16-20:6

PATHWAY OF THE FOOLISH.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. PSALM 14 : 1.

READ : PSALM 14 : 1 - 4 :

1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MARK14 AND ISAIAH 19 : 1 - 15.

MESSAGE :

One of characteristics of the godless is that they seek their personal goals without thinking about God. The things they seek after have overtaken the space that God created in them for Himself. Do you know that today, believers, using the excuse of not having time, are chasing after material things at the expense of cultivating a personal relationship with God?

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” Psalm 14 : 1.

If you think in your heart that God does not exist, even when you have not verbalised such thoughts, God has heard you. If you are one of those who believe that although God exists, He is too slow, too weak or too inconsequential to bring about the needed intervention in a given situation, you are in the same class with the godless. God simply call such people fools.

Why would God call someone a fool? If a person considers the whole observable universe – the sun, the moon, the stars, galaxies, planets, plants, the seas, lakes, rivers, beautiful landscapes, all the mineral deposits in the soil, water springs, the skyline, rain and various weather conditions – and still concludes in his or her heart that these things created themselves, though accepting that no human hand created them, such a person is best described as being on a fool’s path. You do not need anyone to tell you that there is a God somewhere; a very great and massive God who created all these things, and who supervises their operations. A fool is someone who denies obvious truths and facts. Similarly, a fool is one who decides to live the way he or she pleases. Many people live the way he or she please. Many people live their lives the way they do they do right now because they never think of the day of reckoning. Believe it or not, that day will come for everybody. A fool also is the fellow who pushes God aside but pursues the gift and blessing He gives. How can you desire to receive gifts from God without wanting to know the Giver of such gifts? Unfortunately, many believers are letting go of their personal relationship with God for material pursuits and are fast becoming fools. They are on the highway of foolishness. Are you considered a fool? Repent, beat a retreat and make God your number one priority today.

KEY POINT : Men hardly fail to take credit for their achievements, yet they readily rob God of His.

VIOLATING THE LAW OF KINDS?

 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. GENESIS 6 : 6.

READ : GENESIS 6 : 1 - 6 :

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MARK 10 : 11 AND ISAIAH 16 : 12 - 17 : 14.

MESSAGE :

Our God is light, and in Him there is no space for the slightest speck of darkness ( 1 John 1 : 5 ). Those who profess having His nature cannot therefore harbour any element of darkness in them! Right from the beginning, the Lord caused there to be a clear distinction between light and darkness. After He commanded light to be, the next thing He did was to separate the light from the darkness, and He gave them distinct names to avoid any form of confusion ( Genesis 1 : 4 - 5 ). Through these actions, God has established a template for those who profess His name to be separate from darkness. Just as God called light out of darkness at the beginning, He has also called us out of the darkness of this world into His marvellous light ( 1 Peter 2 : 9, 2 Corinthians 4 : 9 ). Having called us out, the next thing He did was to separate us from darkness, and then He gave us a unique identity ( Colossian 1 : 13 ). Having done all these things, this one thing He demands of us: that we remain separate ( 2 Corinthians 6 : 17 ). As a believers in Christ, you have nothing in common with unbelievers. Your responsibility to them is to lead them to the true light. Believers are a kind and unbelievers are another kind ( 2 Corinthians 6 : 14 - 16 ). When believers begin to mate, fraternise and fellowship with unbelievers, they violate the law of kinds and evoke God’s anger.

When there is a cross-breed of goat and dog, violating the law of kinds, what do you think will be the result? It will be a beast. The end product is usually strange, detestable and something abominable. Some people erroneously believe that God understands cross-breeds. No, He doesn’t. He hates such with despicable firmness. In ancient times, the devil sowed the idea of cross-breeding. He caused fallen angels to mate with women, and he polluted the entire earth with the breed resulting from this aberration; all in an attempt to block the emergence of the seed of the woman earlier prophesied in Genesis 3 : 15. This brought so much grief to God to the extent that He decided to wipe out the whole human race. Today, when men mate with men or women mate with women, they violate the law of kinds established by God and cause Him grief. Also, when a man goes for gender-reassignment surgery to take on the features of a woman, develop breasts and even attempt to conceive, he is violating the law of kinds. In what ways are you violating the law of kinds today? Repent and straighten your crooked path! Cut off from that unequal yoke so that God can receive you.

ACTION POINT : Ask that advocates of the recent gay rights movement will receive God’s mercy. Pray that God will open their eyes to the truth of His word, and that His word will prevail.

HE SENT HIS WORD

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:20

Read: Jeremiah 33:1-9 (KJV)

1 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

2 Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

4 For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;

5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

MESSAGE:

It often breaks my heart to see the children of God, who ought to value the word of God, which is the source of our power and our defence, trivializing it as if they do not know what they stand to lose when they do not heed it. Or the danger inherent in ignoring it. Rccg open heavens 2017. The Bible warns us against such an attitude in Hebrews 2:1

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

When the word of God comes to an individual, maybe in the form of prophecy, through the written word or by any other means, it is a wise thing to pay close attention to it.

The word of God comes for many reasons and for different purposes. Going by today’s Bible text, we can see that the word of God was sent to the people of Judah for the purpose of deliverance and for the restoration of their freedom which had been lost to the Chaldeans. For this reason, I always warn members of the congregation during our services never to dose off, because they do not know when God would send a specific word of prophecy that would settle their cases. At often times in the Old Testament, before the people of God went to war, the word of God would go forth announcing their victory and that always settled the battle (2nd Kings 3:17-19, 2nd Chronicles 20:13-15). Likewise, in our meetings, before the people start to pray after the sermon has ended, God through His spoken word would often have already settled their cases. The word of God comes at times to bring peace in the time of crisis, as in the case of Judah (Jeremiah 33:6). When Jesus Christ was in the boat with His disciples and the devil was playing pranks through the tempest, a word of peace settled the turbulent waves of the sea (Mark 4:39). I therefore prophesy into your life right now, your trouble life, marriage, business or career receives peace now in Jesus’ Name.

It is equally comforting to note that when a child of God is exposed to the word of God, he or she receives spiritual cleansing. It is therefore unfortunate for any child of God to run away from the sound teaching of the Bible by failing to read it, study it or listen to it being preached. To underscore this salient truth, the Lord Jesus Christ in John 17:17 prayed thus:

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Prayer point

Father, please grant me the grace to align my life to conform to Your word, and through Your word, deliver me from all forms of destruction.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Mark 9 and Isaiah 15:1-16:11

HE CONTROLS ACCOMMODATION

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

READ: John 14:1-3

14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MARK 7-8, ISAIAH 14:12-32

MESSAGE:

In Genesis 14:17-24, God the Father was revealed to Abraham as the Possessor of heaven and earth. Abraham recieved this revelation, and he set his heart to run with it. He was ready to forfeit the spoils of war because he was fully persuaded that he would never lack. He could take the risk of starting afresh because he knew the Lord as Possessor of Heaven and earth. The end result was that his wealth was greatly multiplied. Oh how true it is that the knowledge of God strengthens and births exploits! If you are afraid of poverty or of permanent loss, then you do not yet know the Father as Possessor of heaven and earth. If you afraid of dying small or dying in want, then you have not yet appropriated this revelation of His person in your spirit.

By the grace of God, I have seen this revelation of God as Possessor of heaven and earth work for me. In 1979, my father-in-the-Lord, together with me and four others visited Tulsa, Oklahoma for a Kenneth Hagin camp meeting for the very first time. We had made no prior hotel reservations because information about the camp meeting came to us quite late. Some people tried to discourage us from going by saying, "How would you go to far away America without a hotel reservation?" But we still resolved to go. Something within me told me that if my Lord has gone to prepare mansions for me in Heaven, He will surely provide a place of accommodation for me in America. On arrival, someone recieved us at the airport and began to call up different hotels. Even those that were an hour's drive away were all fully booked, and we also did not have a means of transportation. Suddenly, it was impressed in my heart that we should call the nearest hotel to the venue of the camp meeting, telling them that we were missionaries from Africa and we needed a room. The brother that recieved us checked the phone book and placed a call. Their response was that they will give us a room! I then told the brother to ask for another room. When we did, they asked us where we said we were from again. We repeated that we were missionaries from Africa. They then agreed to give us two rooms. On reaching the hotel, because I did not want us to share the same room with our father-in-the-Lord, I asked for yet another room. "Where did you say you are from?" I was asked. "We are missionaries from Africa," I repeated, and the response was I will give you three rooms." The Lord will open your eyes to know Him as Possessor of heaven and earth, and He will solve all your accommodation-related problems in Jesus' Name.

KEY POINT:

The Son of Man had no place to lay His head, so that you will always have a roof over your head.

FIRST DEAL WITH SIN.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. MARK 2 : 5.

READ : MARK 2 : 1 - 12 :

1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MARK 5 - 6 AND ISAIAH 13 : 17 - 14

MESSAGE :

In Romans 6 : 23, the Bible establishes that there is a relationship between sin and death. From observation, we know that sickness is an agent of death. For the discerning mind, it follows that there is also a relationship between sin and sickness. In 1 Kings 17 : 17 - 18, when the son of the widow of Zarephath died, she cried out to God's servant saying,

"What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" 1 Kings 17:18b

What was she really saying? She had the understanding that death could come as a result of sin, and that sickness is agent or forerunner of death. If you want to enjoy the long life that God has promised His children, you must therefore keep a safe distance from sin. If you are still living in sin after confessing Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and at same time you expect God to keep death far away from you, you must be joking. Every act of sin you willfully engage in exposes you to the agents of death. You shall not destroy yourself before your God-ordained appointment with death in Jesus' Name!

Similarly, In Mark 2 : 1 - 12, when a man who was paralysed from neck down was brought to Jesus, as bad as his condition was, the Lord simply ignored what every other person cared about and forgave him his sins first. Nobody thought this was relevant. The Lord did this because He could see that this man's spiritual condition was far worse than his physical state of health. For this reason, I often marvel when some ministers focus on healing the sick before preaching salvation to them. Several prayers for the sick are unanswered because of the presence of sin in their lives. It is wisdom to deal with the sin in the life of the sinner before asking God to heal the fellow. If the sick sinner is healed before being asked to surrender to Jesus, he may refuse to surrender at all after receiving the healing. He may think his healing is by chance and not from your prayer, and if returns to his sin, the sickness may come back. If he then dies in his sin, his soul will go to hell. But if the fellow is first made to receive Jesus Christ before being healed, there is a greater chance of him following the Lord. Even if the healing is not manifested, if he dies, his soul is saved from eternal hell. Always deal with sin first!

KEY POINT : When confronted with the problems of sin and sickness, it is wisdom to deal first with sin because it could be the root cause of the sickness.

OPENING OR SHUTTING THE DOORS?

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. HEBREWS 11 : 6.

READ : 1 KINGS 17 : 8 - 16 :

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MARK 3 - 4 AND ISAIAH 13 : 1 - 16

MESSAGE :

If you learn to give liberally to God, you will be rewarded with increase through divine favour. Whatever you give to the Lord will be multipled. The widow of Zarephath, who was in a very sorry state, was asked to give the man of God a little cake from her last meal. Thank God she did. Millions of people have read about her all through the ages because of what she did. By that singular act of obedience, she has gained so much recognition and is a celebrity in God's Kingdom. Do know that if she had focused more on her need, and if she had told the prophet to leave her alone, she would have taken a meal which would have been her very last before dying? May you not eat the last meal that could become your very first in a continuous line of blessings for the rest of your life!

Moreover, this woman gave God's servant a cake, but she got flour and oil in return. If you give God a cake, He will give you flour and oil on an enduring basis. He expects you to then do the baking yourself. He will not come down to do the baking for you. Beloved, do not sit down expecting money to rain down from Heaven. God can open doors, even mighty doors of blessings to you. However, when He does this, it is His expectation and your responsibility to recognise and walk through them. Such open doors will cause you to work hard.

After I was saved, I used to argue about tithes. As a mathematician, I told them that if 100% of my academician's salary was not enough for my needs, how would 90% be sufficient after paying 10% as tithe? One day, God cautioned me about this, and I began to pay my tithe. God then began to open doors of opportunities to me. As a lecturer, private practice was out of the question. One day my dean called me and said he just discovered I was the best mathematics lecturer he had, and so he was sending me to teach in a particular secondary school for girls. Consequently, extra income flowed in. When the results of the school leaving certificate exams for these girls were released, they excelled in mathematics without stress, and the news spread. Other schools began to call for me. God's word is true. Are you faithful to God in your tithes? If you are, you will be creating a platform for open doors, but if you are not, you will be shutting the doors to blessings with your own hands.

KEY POINT : Violating God's command makes a man his own enemy.

AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE.

THE BENEFITS OF REDEMPTION.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ROMANS 8 : 15.

READ : GALATIANS 4 : 4 - 7 :

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MATTHEW 26 AND ISAIAH 10 : 5 - 19.

HYMN : 11.

MESSAGE :

Anytime I remember what I suffered in the hands of Satan and his agents before I was redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, I cannot help but thank God for the salvation of my soul. As a matter of fact, fear was a major source of torment in my life before I met the Lord Jesus Christ. This fear was passed on to me by my mother, who later got saved by the grace of God. For fear that I might get killed, being her only male child, my mother sent me far away from my home- town. For several years I could not visit this town because I was afraid of death and I was afraid of the wicked people of this world. However, when the light of redemption beamed upon me and my family, we were liberated. This is why I am praying for you who may have lived in perpetual fear all the days of your life: that you will be delivered from the torment of fear in Jesus' Name. Jesus did it for me, and He will do it for you too. Deliverance from fear is one of the benefits of the redemption that Jesus Christ paid the utmost price for. Hear what the Bible says concerning this :

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2 : 14 - 15.

Another benefit of redemption is access to the throne of the Almighty God ( Hebrews 4 : 16, Ephesians 2 : 18 ). At His throne, we lay down our petitions for His supernatural intervention over the challenges of our lives. Be assured in your spirit that once you are redeemed, you are in direct contact with the Almighty God. What brought about this privilege? Redemption!

For these reasons, if you are not yet saved, I am inviting you to the cross of Calvary, where Jesus Christ paid for your redemption in full. Confess your sins and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Promise Him that you will abide by His Word and never go back to the world. Something extraordinary will happen to you if you sincerely do this now. If you are a believer and you are still wallowing in fear, know that this is not your inheritance in Christ. Are you in doubt concerning your redemption in Christ? Consider where you may have missed your way and retrace your steps back to Calvary; restoration of your redemption awaits you there.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please don't let the flesh, the world and the devil rob me of the benefits of my redemption in Christ. Let the whole world know that I am your child.

KNOWING THE FATHER.

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. GENESIS 14 : 19.

READ : GENESIS 14 : 17 - 24 :

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth.

23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.

24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MATTHEW 22 - 23 AND ISAIAH 9 : 1 - 12.

MESSAGE :

The Almighty God is one, yet He manifests Himself as three different persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Different things happen that reveal the multifaceted nature of God's character whenever He manifests Himself as any of these three persons. When God manifests Himself as God the Father, the earth trembles, the hills melt and the enemies scatter ( Nahum 1 : 5 ). When He manifests as God the Son, He is seen as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world ( John 1 : 29 ). He also comes in the likeness of the fourth man who meets you in the fiery furnace and terminates the power of fire ( Daniel 3 : 25 ). As God the Son, He comes as a gentle person who invites all who are heavy Laden to come to Him for rest ( Matthew 11 : 28 ). When God manifests as the Holy Spirit, He comes as the consuming fire ( Hebrews 12 : 29 ). One man who experienced God as the consuming fire was Samson. Bound and delivered to his enemies, when the Holy Spirit came mightily on him, all the cords binding him were immediately consumed ( Judges 15 : 14 ). This season, every cord that is tying you to the same spot shall be consumed by the fire of the Holy Ghost in Jesus' Name.

Moreover, speaking of God the Father, there are several things you need to know about Him; one of which is that He is the one who made the heavens and the earth ( Genesis 1 : 1 ). Because He made the heavens and the earth and everything in them, in Genesis 14 : 19, He is called Possessor of heaven and earth. What a powerful title! You cannot know God as Possessor of heaven and earth and still live in poverty. This title of God was revealed to Abraham through Melchizedek, king of Salem. Ever since then, wealth and affluence have existed in Abraham's lineage. You cannot know God the Father as Possessor of heaven and earth and still be homeless. He will definitely create a place for you when you upon Him. Your knowledge of God as Possessor of heaven and earth will release the power material possessions to you. Do have any challenge with accommodation? Maybe you have nowhere to lay your head. Jesus in John 14 : 2a says this to you :

"In my Father's house are many mansions..."

If you catch this revelation in your spirit, all your accommodation problems can be resolved when you call upon Him. Call upon Him today, and He will sort you out.

KEY POINT : If all you have is the Possessor of heaven and earth, you have everything.

PROUD?

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5

Read: 1 Peter 5:5-6

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

5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

MESSAGE:

While seeking God's face towards a particular year's Convention of our church, the Lord asked me to go back to the basis. It was obvious we had forgotten some things, and God wanted to remind us of them. Indeed God's ways are different from our ways; hence the need for us to always humble ourselves before Him. The big things, deep secrets and outstanding thoughts we expect to get from God may not come through the avenues that we think they will follow. There are certain lessons God may want to teach us and He would send us to the ants (Proverbs 6:6)! This shows that He can send you to what you think you cannot get anything from. He can teach you great lessons using a familiar terrain. He can use vessels you consider too junior in the ecclesiastical hierarchy to teach you things that will blow your mind. This is why you have to remain humble and meek because God can only teach those who are meek.

One thing that can come between you and the divine knowledge that will transform your life is Pride. 1 Peter 5:5 says God resists the proud. The word "resist" in this verse is used in the present continuous tense. To "resist" is to forcefully push back against something. It implies that if you are proud, all your attempts to move closer to God shall be rebuffed by Him. This is why the proud cannot stay on the same platform with God. Are you proud? Today, many people are proud of their achievements: how many members they have in their local church parish, the size of their tithe, how many churches they have planted, how many souls they have won etc. One thing such people forget is that we can do nothing without Him. John 15:5 says:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

Some others boast over their wealth, or their privileged office or position, even their beauty and appearance. Some others have become distant from God because of the multiple academic qualifications they have acquired in various disciplines over the years; they forget that knowledge should set you free, and not cut you off from God. Whenever what you know attracts Pride in your life, that knowledge has become counter-productive, capable of pushing you into serious trouble. Examine yourself today and ask God to destroy any trace of pride in you.

Key Point:

If you allow a benefit that should draw you closer to God to separate you from Him, you are on the path of doom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Matthew 20-21
Isaiah 8

TAKE THIS RIDE !

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. PROVERBS 11 : 25.

READ : PROVERBS 11 : 24 - 26 :

24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. Proverbs

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MATTHEW 18 - 19 AND ISAIAH 7 : 10 - 25.

MESSAGE :

For all those who have received the gift of righteousness through the finished work of Calvary, the design of God for our lives is that we live by His favour. The psalmist spoke prophetically about this in Psalm 5 : 12 :

"For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield."

The reality of this was manifested in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ ( Luke 2 : 52 ), and the early church also experienced the same ( Acts 2 : 47 ). However, there are some keys that unlock the door to experiencing God's favour. One of these keys is found in today's Bible reading, which says :

"The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" Proverbs 11 : 25.

Before you can access the fatness and abundance you desire from heaven, you must first learn to give to the Lord what you treasure : your best and your all. This is what brings about the difference in results experienced by a person living by God's favour and a person living by labour; one is definitely easier to achieve than the other. Towards the end of a particular year, one of my sons preached on the difference between labour and favour. He cited two examples: Jacob and Isaac. According to him, when Jacob wanted a wife he laboured for 14 years before he could get his heartthrob, but when Isaac wanted to marry, he just went on a stroll. One laboured but the other was favoured. I have decided to enjoy divine favour. I am tired of labouring. I want to continually live in the realm of divine favour, and to do so, I will sow as I have never done before, because favour responds to the law of harvest.

Are you not tired of increase dependent on labour? Why exert everything you have for several years to get a particular blessing, when you can pay a little price through sowing and still get great results in a shorter time, without much stress? One effective way of redeeming the time, as admonished in Ephesians 5 : 16, is to dump less effective methods for better, faster and less stressful ways of doing things. You are not redeeming the time when increase only through labour. This implies that so many things will have to wait until you have the strength to work for them. Why go by labour when you can rise on the wings of divine favour? Choose the vehicle to your place of destiny today!

ACTION POINT : The price you pay to ride a flight by favour, through sowing seeds, is far cheaper than what you have to pay through labour.

BE THOU PERFECT Memorise :

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. - Matthew 5:48

Read: Genesis 17:1-9

17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

17:4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

17:6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

17:9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

MESSAGE :

There are many misconceptions about God’s demand for perfection. These misconceptions have led some people to erroneously conclude that perfection is an unrealistic aim in the Christian walk, and should therefore be abandoned. To debunk this line of thought, our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse re-echoes His Father’s demand for our perfection.

My prayer is that the power of God will come upon you today, and you will begin to live in perfection as God demands in Jesus’ Name. Why do people see God’s demand for our perfection as being unattainable? It’s because they think that perfection is to be attained by our strength. However, the truth of the matter is this: if man did not create himself but came to existence through the power and wisdom of God, by this same wisdom and power, God will help him to meet His demands. The problem with such people is unbelief. For this reason, the Bible in Hebrews 11:6 says:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Unbelief breeds disobedience. The case of the first man and woman shows this. They fell into imperfection through their unbelief in the efficacy and infallibility of God’s word! This is in contrast to Abraham, of whom God also demanded perfection, who responded to God’s demand in faith. This is why the Scripture say this about him:

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Galatians 3:6

From God’s point of view, perfection is total obedience to His instructions in faith. You are perfect if you obey what God asks you to do, even if it seems illogical or is politically incorrect. Obedience in faith brings justification, which is the key to perfection.

Do you find yourself in a state of unbelief? Are you one of those who don’t believe perfection is attainable? If you are, you must pray today like the man whose child was tormented by the devils in Mark 9:24:

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

ACTION POINT :
The Spirit of Jesus Christ helps us into perfection. Therefore, accept Jesus today and ask Him to give you His Spirit, and His Spirit will make you perfect.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Matthew 14-5;
Isaiah 5:24-6:7