WHO IS BEHIND THIS ROADBLOCK?

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Psalm 26:2

Read: Numbers 22:22-31

22:22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and wem into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

22:24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

22:25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

22:26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

22:29 And Balaam said umo the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: l would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would l kill thee.

22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

MESSAGE

''Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him."
Psalm 68:1

The above scripture is one of those very popular passages in the psalms. When a baby Christian hears it, he will say ''Amen!''. Some adult Christians have even turned it into a song. A mature believer in Christ, I mean a real bone-cracker, will however react differently. When he or she hears this passage being quoted, the first thing he or she will do is to carry out a brief self-examination and introspectively ask: ''I hope l am not one of those enemies?'' In other words, he is not in a hurry to say amen. ln 2 Samuel 12:1-7, after Prophet Nathan told King David the story of an oppressive act committed in his kingdom, the king rose up in fury and decreed, ''That fellow must die.'' Then the prophet replied, ''You are the man, O king''. Be very careful how you judge others because Matthew 7:2 says,
''For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall bejudged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.''

If only some people were merciful while judging others, they too would have been shown mercy when they were going through their own judgment.

Beloved, before you cry to God to arise and let His enemies be scattered, first find out if you are not that enemy. Have you even tried to find out whether God is the one fighting you? ln today's Bible reading, God had told Prophet Balaam not to go and curse His people. Nevertheless, when Balak invited him to curse the children of Israel and promised him a lot of money, he disobeyed God. God therefore sent an angel to block his way. The donkey he rode on saw the angel and stopped, but because his own eyes were blinded by covetousness, he could not see the angel. What will you do if you find yourself in this scenario? You perceive something is blocking your way but you do not know what exactly it is, and you say, 'You demon standing between me and my destiny, move!'' You get a response saying, ''I am not a demon but an angel'' You then insist and say, "No problem, whatever you are, move out of my way!'' He then asks, ''ln whose name?'' You say ''In the Name of Jesus Christ'', and the response is, ''Oh, He is the One who asked me to block your way!'' What would you do? Today, many people are busy fighting non-existent forces of darkness that they believe are blocking their way. Go back to God and find out who is really blocking your way in order to pray correctly.

Key Point:

Many children of God are doing God's work their own way and refusing to do it God's way. God is therefore grinding them to a halt!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Judges 15-16
Jeremiah 51:27-44

ONE SOUND, TWO MESSAGES

And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; Psalm 105:44

Read: 2 Kings 7:1-11

7:1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of flne flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

7:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here umil we die?

7:4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now
therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

7:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Wrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp
of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

7:6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come
upon us.

7:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and
fled for their life.

7:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they wem into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

7:9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

7:10 So they came and called umo the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

7:11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within.

MESSAGE

A sound from Heaven is all you need to turn a very hopeless situation into a glorious one. We have an example of this in today's Bible reading. One lesson here is that whenever things deteriorate to their worst level, know that a turning point is around the corner. Don't cry, just worship God and thank Him in the midst of the difficulty, asking Him to show you what to do to turn things around. Also, from this story, we see that God can release one sound from Heaven and while His children hear something positive, their enemies would hear something else. Things were so bad in Samaria because there was no more food, to the extent that some women began to eat their own children to survive. Have things gone so bad for you that to afford a meal you would have to sell some of your property? There is a user of this Devotional, because things have gone so bad, you have virtually sold all your properties in order to survive. The Lord is turning your situation around now. Within the next 90 days, all the things you have sold shall be replaced with better ones. When this comes to pass in your life, endeavour to testify of it before the congregation of God's people.

It was in the midst of hopelessness that a sound came from heaven through Elisha, declaring that within 24 hours, abundance would replace lack. Literarily speaking, it meant that within 24 hours, there would be so much food that it would be almost free. Responding to that prophecy which they didn't even hear, some four lepers decided to take their chances by going to the camp of the besieging army to see if they would pity them and give them some food. As they went, the noise from their feet was taken up to Heaven, amplified and released into the camp of the enemy. So what happened? While God's people heard that abundance would swallow up their acute lack within 24 hours, the enemies heard the sound of a very mighty army coming to surround them and wipe them out completely. They fled immediately and left behind everything they had, which became available to God's people almost free. This season, all your enemies holding back your blessings shall hear a sound from Heaven and leave you and everything that is yours alone! I speak abundance into your life now in Jesus' Name! If there is any siege that has surrounded your life for so long, hindering your progress, I command it to be lifted now in Jesus' Name. Receive freedom to expand your coast from today in Jesus' Mighty Name. lt is well with you!

Prayer Point:

Father, as You speak peace to me, speak trouble and war to my enemies.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Judges 1-2
Jeremiah 49:14-27

ENTERING HIS REST

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrew 4:11

Read: Hebrews 4:7-11

4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not aftenNard have spoken of another day.

4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

MESSAGE

Psalm 23:1-6 is a very powerful psalm which speaks of the relationship between the sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God's sheep enjoy many benefits, one of which is the entitlement to rest. lf you are a bona fide sheep of Jesus Christ, His rest is made available to you. When the Psalmist says "He makes me to lie down", he simply speaks about entering into God's rest. The rest that the Good Shepherd offers His sheep can be at several levels. Some people are labouring so hard in search of the salvation of their soul. They want to be free from sin, and yet the more they labour to be free, the more entangled they find themselves. If only they can come to Jesus today, they will find the salvation they have been seeking. Jesus Christ is the final destination for everyone who genuinely desires salvation.

Another kind of rest that the Good Shepherd offers is bodily rest. Ordinarily, after a hard days work, by the time you hit the bed, you should fall fast asleep. However, do you know that there are people who find it so difficult to sleep? They stare at the ceiling all night until the following morning. This continues for days, weeks or even months. Psalm 127:2 says if you are beloved of God, you will surely have rest through sleep. Do you suffer from insomnia? Has it been so difficult for you to get a good night's sleep? That sleeplessness is terminated today! From now on, you shall access God's rest in Jesus' Name!

In addition, the Good Shepherd offers rest to those who labour continuously without rest. Matthew 11:28 says,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

One way the devil has led some people into their untimely death is by heaping so many problems, burdens, debts and heavy responsibilities on them which they cannot carry, thereby frustrating their efforts to enter into financial freedom. The more they labour, the further they drift from success. lf you are in that situation, do not give up or think of ending your life. Just come to Jesus with all your heart and He will give you rest. Finally, todays Bible reading talks about the eternal rest that we have access to as sheep of the Great Shepherd. Nobody can enter Heaven except through Jesus Christ. If you are saved and you continue to follow Jesus, obeying Him every step of the way, you will surely enter into His rest. Are you qualified to enter His rest?

Key Point:

To enter into rest in any area of life, faith in Jesus Christ, the Giver of rest, is required.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 23-24
Jeremiah 48:45-49:13

ACCEPTED TIME

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

2 Corinthians 6:2

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

1:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

MESSAGE

God is never late for any appointment. He is always on time. Looking at the experiences of different people in the Bible, this has been shown to be true over and over again. For the man who had been sick for 38 years, when his appointed time finally came and the once-in-a-year miracle platform God had put in place could not meet his need, Jesus personally picked him out from the crowd and healed him by His own will (John 5:1-6). Also, when the appointed time came for the woman who had been bent over for 18 years, the Lord healed her without her asking for it (Luke 13:10-13). Habakkuk 2:3 says,
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

One thing you should learn from this is that God has a timetable, and His timetable may be completely different from yours. He has a set time for every event in the lives of His children. It is like setting an alarm clock to a particular time; when the alarm rings, God will address the issues at stake.

Another lesson worth learning is that until God's appointed time for a particular matter to be addressed dawns, God may appear silent on the issue, even when He has all the facts and figures of the situation at His disposal. lf He knows what an individual is going through, and He chooses to watch carefully and quietly, He may just be doing so in order to see how the fellow will respond to the situation. Would he stand in faith and resist the devil, or give up his faith and cling to doubt, fear and unbelief? Would he draw nearer to God or go further away from Him? Would he down tools and stop serving God, or would he continue serving God in the midst of no divine response to his problems? When God keeps quiet at such times, He may want to test your faith to see how elastic it is. lt may be very frustrating when God is silent on an issue, but never get to the point of thinking or believing that He does not know what you are going through. He knows it better than you do. He sees what you see and what you don't see within the circumstance. Just trust in Him and hold on to Him in faith. Love Him more, worship Him more, serve Him more and keep trusting Him more. In the end, you will be victorious.

Prayer Point:

Father, give me grace to endure till my appointed time, and when it dawns, let me see the manifestation of my good expectations.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 18-19
Jeremiah 47:1-48:8

DON'T BE A PREY!

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Proverbs 7:23

Read: Proverbs 7:7-23

7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

7:9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

7:11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

7:12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

7:14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and l have found thee.

7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

7:19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

7:22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

7:23 Tlll a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

MESSAGE

A negative experience many people have had to contend with is captivity. Captivity can mean bondage, slavery, imprisonment, detention or a lack of freedom. Captivity also comes in various forms. It can occur as a consequence of being captured in a battle, like it happened to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 1:1-7). In this particular case, King Nebuchadnezzar invaded the nation of Israel and carried away some of the people into captivity. From that moment, these captives became slaves in a foreign land. Similarly, some people enter into captivity by falling into a trap set by the enemy. For instance, in Judges 16:14-15, the lords of the Philistines used a beautiful woman as bait for Samson. Today, there are several 'hunters' of destiny and life all around, setting all kinds of traps to get their prey. May you never be one of their victims!

One common trap people fall into today is the trap of adultery and fornication. The devil has several agents and means to use as bait, and believe it or not, he catches a lot of prey. He may use beautiful ladies like he did to Samson. Today's Bible reading describes how a prostitute sets a trap and catches her victim. She could use her seductive attire which reveals her curves and exposes sensitive parts of her body. She could also use her sweet flattering words, seductive make-up, perfumes or gait just to get her prey. When he finally yields, she leads him like an ox to the slaughter slab. Proverbs 7:23 says
''Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”

Anyone being lured or enticed into lust should realise that it can never really be for his or her own good. Today, several female students have become easy prey for sugar daddies and evil Hot lecturers because they erroneously think that they are getting something of value in return. How much can a man pay you to allow him to destroy your destiny or kill you? What score will a lecturer award you in exchange for your life? The victims of lust, immorality and adultery are really trading their precious lives for pittance. Are you in the captivity of adultery, thinking it benefits you because you are getting rapid promotion in your place of work? Don't be deceived! You are truly paying with your life! Repent, come to Jesus and cut off all hunters from your life! Break that relationship if your partner is pressurising you for sex as a basis for friendship. It is not worth it! Ask God to deliver you from every trap of the devil.

Prayer Point:

Father, deliver all our children, teens and youths from sexual immorality.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 20-21
Jeremiah 48:9-27

WHY GOD SOMETIMES DELAYS

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Genesis 2:21

Read: Genesis 2:21-22

2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

MESSAGE

From experience, we know of a truth that God answers prayers. lt is also common knowledge among those who walk with God that on several occasions, despite consistent prayers, God may take His time before intervening in a given situation. In fact, in some cases, He may allow the situation to deteriorate to its extreme limits before He steps in. This was the experience of Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus (John 11:1-6). Why would God wait until you are completely helpless before He turns things around? It could be because He does not want you to tamper with what He is about to do. When a doctor wants to perform an operation, he puts his patient to sleep. When God was about to form Eve out of Adam, He put him into a deep sleep. Genesis 2:21 says,
"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof."

Do you know that God still likes to do some great things without any contribution or interference from us? Sometimes, He may allow us to get to a point of helplessness before He moves in to begin His work. He wants you to be absolutely surrendered to Him so that when He begins to do what He wants to do, you will not consider your own ideas. If you are ever so self-willed, you may need to visit the bus stop of helplessness repeatedly, but if you are completely yielded to Him, this may not occur too often in your life. How submissive are you to God?

Similarly, God may take His time before coming to your aid because it is in those extreme moments that prayers are said from the depth of the soul (1 Samuel 1:15). When you are totally helpless, you will pray from your heart and not from your head. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was grievously tormented of the devil came to Jesus asking for help, the Lord ignored her, and the disciples asked that she be sent away because she was too noisy. The woman simply said, "You haven't heard any noise yet. Whether you like it or not, I am not leaving here without my miracle." Then the Lord said to her, III cannot give the children's bread to dogs." She said, "Fine, l agree l am a dog, but this dog is going to get her miracle today." Since she had no alternative, she knew she had reached her last bus stop, and she refused to give up. People who are totally helpless pray a different kind of prayer compared to those who have alternatives. Whatever your needs may be today, as you ask God, He will answer you in Jesus' Name. Have you reached your flnal bus stop? ls Jesus Christ your last hope, or do you have other alternatives?

Action Point:

Some delays are in your best interest. Ask God to make every delay to work in your favour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 10-11
Jeremiah 44:20-30

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DESPERATE?

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

Read: Mark 2:1-5

2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.

2:2 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.

2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

2:4 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 Iay.

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

MESSAGE

While some people encounter God and ask Him for nothing, some others ask for crumbs while some few ask big. Also, while some people are ready to wait until their desires are granted, some others are desperate. Even though God has the ability to do all things, how fast your desires will be granted is often determined by your level of desperation. Desperate people do desperate things to get results, and so, the attitude of their prayer is usually different from that of those who can wait. ln our Bible reading for today, when four men brought their friend who was paralysed and bedridden down to Jesus, they did not like what they saw: all the doors and windows were blocked and a big crowd surrounded the house. So what did they do? After studying the situation, these four friends observed that only the roof was free, and an idea struck their minds. They wiggled their way to the roof, tore it open, and lowered their friend into the place where Jesus was. The Lord Jesus Christ had to suspend everything else He was doing to attend to their friend. How desperate are you to receive your miracle? If you say you are
desperate, where are the signs of your desperation? Desperate people break protocol! They refuse to wait where others would, and try out new measures that others may never think of. Desperate people refuse to be limited by what limits others, and they will do everything possible to get the result they desire.

When God sees desperate faith in action, He is most unlikely to turn it down. ln fact, God allows such. Hence, Matthew 11:12 says
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

lf you are not desperate, you would be placed at the end of the line. If you are a bit violent, you can end up in the middle of the queue, but if you are truly desperate, you will be moved to the front, irrespective of how long
others have waited to get there. Desperate people are persistent. They draw up the attention of other people in their bid to get what they desire. Although desperate people can really be a "nuisance", they don`t care about who they inconvenience as long as they get what they want. How desperate are you for divine intervention over your situation? Cry out to God today and let Him hear the desperation in your voice and see it in your actions, and He will surely answer you.

Key Point:

A desperate fellow persistently tables just one request before God and cannot wait to receive a positive response on it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 3-5
Jeremiah 42:18-43:7

SCATTER TO INCREASE

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Proverbs 11:24

Read: Proverbs 11:23-25

11:23 The desire of the righteous is only good: but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

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

MESSAGE

John 15:16 says you have been chosen to bear fruits and to sustain these fruits. To bear fruit, you are required to win souls regularly. Newly saved souls are like new born babies that require a lot of care and nourishment in order to grow into adulthood (1 Peter 2:2). To sustain such converts therefore, there is a need for us to keep planting churches. No wonder Genesis 1:28 says that if you are fruitful, you must strive to multiply. Plant a parish and continue planting more. Just repeat the right things you are doing that works. Do not wait to start a church of 2000 people. You can start small churches of about 20-50 people and these will grow into churches of 100, 150 and more. The house fellowship unit can be effectively used in doing this. You can start a house fellowship with just a few people and as it grows, you can split it and have another house fellowship centre. In doing this, you are applying the principle of scattering to multiply. As these grow, you will soon have enough people to start a church parish. How effective is your house fellowship centre? Are you even a member of a house fellowship?

Another area where you can apply the principle of scattering to multiply is in the area of giving. Luke 6:38 says if you give, you shall receive in return. Keep giving and God in His own way will give you your reward. Today's Bible reading reveals that it is possible to scatter but yet increase, whereas you can hold back and remain poor. There is a particular man I know; when he goes anywhere and people get to know he is around, they would gather round and he will fling bundles of money at them; every one of them then scrambles for their share of this money. Someone once asked me why this man does this, and I told him that the devil knows the principle of scattering to increase. lf you go to a witchdoctor for a charm to make you rich, one of the conditions he would likely give you is that you must learn to scatter some of your wealth to the poor. This is a universal principle; so if unbelievers practice it, they will get results. So would believers if they can practice it. Consider the weeds that grow rapidly around us; they multiply so fast because they scatter their seeds through the wind, water and by sticking to so many differem things. In the past, those of us who were Bible study leaders went all out to meet the needs of the gospel by sacrificing our salaries and the little we had. Today, many years after, I see the same people who once lived in a room and parlour now living in their own mansions. Are you ready to pay the price of multiplication through scattering?

Action Point:

When you want to scatter your seeds, start with needy members of your local church.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 27-28
Jeremiah 41:4-18

BELIEVE AND DOUBT NOT

And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. Luke 1:20

Read: Luke 1:5-20

1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his name John.

1:14 And thou shalt havejoy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy
Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of thejust; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for l am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, | am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to
shew thee these glad tidings.

1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

MESSAGE

Do you know that God is a person and not a force? Because He is a person, He has emotions. His emotions are manifested in Him being pleased or displeased, happy or grieved, and so on. Those who are wise will seek to do the things that will make God respond to them with a favourable emotion. One way you can upset God is by doubting Him. According to Hebrews 11:6, before approaching God, you must believe that He exists and that He will respond to your call. It is pretty impossible to relate with God without faith. Infact, Romans 14:23b says,
"... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.''

Once you give room to doubt as regards to who God is and what He can do, you have opened the door to sin. How can the One who made the heavens and earth make a promise to you and you will not believe Him? How can the One who brought water out of a rock, and the One who turned a valley of dry, useless bones into a full-bodied army not be trusted (Exodus 17:5-6, Ezekiel 37:1-10)? If He could resurrect a whole army, resurrecting you is simply a walk in the park for Him. lt is a great insult to doubt that God can do what He says He will do. Are you living by faith or in doubt?

God feels personally displeased when we doubt Him. It is a worse situation when His servants who should know Him better, get caught up in the web of unbelief. It is important to know that God responds to your doubts and unbelief. When God sent Angel Gabriel to tell Zacharias that his aged wife would have a baby, he found it difficult to believe because they had both grown old. For the reason of his unbelief, he was struck with dumbness until the prophecy was fulfilled. Are you trusting God for the fruit of the womb but you are now over 40 or even 50 years old? Have you like Zacharias given up on the possibility of having a child? Do not give up on God! Always remember this: if God chooses to give you a baby at the age of 70, He will definitely renew your body and make it able to carry the baby. Your age will definitely not diminish, but your body will be renewed and made younger. Trust Him. At the point when some people already have their miracle quite close to them, they suddenly begin to doubt God and hence destroy the process. Stop doubting God! You can never get anything good from it.

Key Point:

You are either in faith or in doubt but definitely not in both. Where are you?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 24-26
Jeremiah 40:7-41:3

WHOSE WILL?

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10

Read: Matthew 6:9-13

6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

MESSAGE :

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

God is a God of purpose, and He is highly organized. He plans far ahead of His deeds. For instance, Ephesians 1:4 says that long before God laid the foundations of the earth, He had already chosen us to live a holy and blameless life before Him. God knows exactly what He wants and where He is going. God could not have created the world and everything in it without a definite plan or purpose for His creation (Isaiah 45:18). He has a will which is clearly revealed by His word. May God cause you to know His plan for your life and give you the grace to follow it in Jesus’ Name.

From the teaching of Jesus commonly known as “the Lord’s Prayer”, one thing is very clear: only the will of God is done in Heaven where He dwells. No one can violate His will or commandment over there and continue to stay there. He cannot live with rebels; hence, Lucifer and the angels who rebelled against God were thrown out of Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Everyone and everything existing in Heaven conforms to God’s will and plan, and they all make Him happy. How about on earth? Since the fall of man, Satan and his demons have done a lot to cause men to take after rebellious path. For this reason, Jesus Christ came so that we can once again unite with those in Heaven in doing God’s will and pursuing His pleasure. Matthew 6:10 says,

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Why were you saved? God saved you so that you can join His family in Heaven in doing His will. David had this understanding, and so he said in Psalm 143:10:

“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

You are here on earth to do His will and not to please yourself (Romans 12:2). For this reason, Colossian 1:16 says we were created by Him and for Him. You were created for His purpose. At the end of time, only those who follow God’s will diligently on earth will be translated to continue doing so in Heaven.

Whose will are you following? Are you daily doing God’s will or yours?

PRAYER POINT :
Father, teach and grant me grace to do your will with all of my heart.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Acts 20-21;
Jeremiah 38:24-39:10

THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION

 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: Matthew 7:13

Read: Matthew 7:13-14

7:13 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:

7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Message:

God wants to change your life, but beyond this, He wants to change your final destination. Over the ages, many people have had to move from one location to another within the same country. Others have had to relocate to other countries for one reason or the other. However, at the end of the day, irrespective of where we live, we shall all arrive at a final destination. That destination is eternal and cannot be changed after we die. There are two eternal destinations: Heaven and Hell. Whether you believe it or not, you are heading towards one of these. The Bible is very clear on the truth that every sinner is heading to Hell. Psalm 9:17 says,
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

If you are still living in sin, Jesus Christ has come to change your eternal destination from hell to heaven. For this change to happen, you have to accept the remedy for sin which He has made available in His Blood. If a person does not achieve this crucial change before death, all other achievements during his or her lifetime will fade into nothingness, and the fellow will be faced with an eternity in Hell.

The shocking truth about this is that God will never force a person to change his or her final destination. He won’t force you to change from the hell-bound broad way to the heaven-bound narrow path. He allows you to make your decision and to live with the eternal consequences hereafter. I was talking to an important personality recently about being born again. He kept arguing with me, and so I told him this: “Sir, it is not something we should quarrel about. It is not compulsory for you to go to heaven. If you prefer to go to hell, it’s your choice.” Then he said, “Why are you begging me to be born again or give my life to Jesus?” I laughed and replied, “Me, begging you? I am not begging you but only sounding a note of warning. If you chose to wind up in Hell, it is your choice.” Some people think that as long as they do not believe in the existence of hell, they cannot go there. Hell is real! Many people are entering into Hell every day, and yet it is not full (Proverb 27:20). If the only feat you can achieve on earth is to avoid hell, it is worth the trouble. Many people were mocking those who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them during their life time until they ended up in Hell. Hell is worse than any type of suffering or punishment you know on earth. Do everything possible to avoid it by genuinely giving your life to Christ today.

Action Point:

To make Heaven your final destination, do the following: repent and confess your sins to God; ask Him to cleanse your sins with the Blood of Jesus; invite Jesus into your life and confess Him as your Lord and Saviour and ask God for grace to live for him till you die.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 18-19
Jeremiah 38:14-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

BREAD OR CRUMBS?

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Proverb 30:8

Read: Proverb 30:7-9

3:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

3:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

3:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Message:

What you get from God depends on how contented or dissatisfied you are. While some people ask nothing from the Almighty God who has all things and who can do all things, some others ask for crumbs. Your desire and request go a long way in determining what you get in life. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons met the Lord, all she asked for was crumbs:
“And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Matthew 15:27

Even today, after Jesus had said that the children of the Kingdom are meant to eat at God’s table, many of these children still prefer crumbs that fall from the Master’s table (Luke 12:32, Matthew 15:26). Where is your focus: the table or crumbs?

Similarly, there is a correlation between your desire and your trust in God. If you really have faith in God, you will be able to ask big. The Bible says those who know their God shall do exploits (Daniel 11:32). In other words, when you know little or nothing about God, when asked to make a request, you will be afraid of asking for too much, and so you will be confined to asking for so little. However, when you know how inexhaustible the resources of God are, it will stir up courage in your heart to ask for big, great and impossible things. Therefore, if you are asking for a used car, a tiny rented apartment or a job that can barely take you away from starvation, it is very possible that you do not know or trust God enough. In today’s Bible reading, Agur made a very humble request. He asked for neither poverty nor wealth. He feared poverty, lest he might be tempted to steal; and he also feared wealth, lest he deny God. Just enough was what he asked for. Using the children of Israel as a model of God’s plan for your life, you will observe that God took them from the wilderness, where they had Manna that was just enough for each day, to a land flowing with milk and honey, where they had more than enough (Exodus 16:15-19, Deuteronomy 6:10-11, Joshua 5:12). Just enough might mean not having reserves to take care of emergencies. That means, in an emergency, you may be forced to go cap in hand borrowing. Are you asking for little in consideration of others who are also asking God for the same thing? You can never exhaust God’s resources. Ask big and stop limiting yourself!

Action Point:

Ask God for something really big that only He can do for you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 16-17
Jeremiah 38:1-13

ANY FRUIT OF REPENTANCE?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Matthew 3:8

Read: Matthew 3:1-10

3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

3:5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Message:

“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:” Joel 2:12

Fasting can be used to demonstrate genuine repentance before God. Exemplifying the above scripture, Prophet Daniel embarked on a fast to show repentance for his sins and the sins of the children of Israel in Daniel 9:3-20. All through the Old Testament, when individuals or a group of people fell into sin and judgment was imminent, they returned to God in fasting and mourning, expressing sorrow for sins committed. How truly sorrowful are you when you sin against God? Is there any deep sorrow for sin anymore? Today, when you see a believer asking God for pardon over a wrong he or she has committed, you will be amazed. A few seconds after he or she has apologized, he or she is seen carrying on as if nothing ever went wrong. There is no manifestation of godly sorrow. People do not see offending God as anything anymore. They hide behind grace to cover up their evil lifestyle. However, can God be fooled?

The “repentance” of some people today is highly questionable. True repentance must be backed up by godly sorrow. 2corinthians 7:10 says
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Genuine repentance must exhibit the fruits of humility, confession, brokenness, a desire for restitution where necessary and a commitment to never return to the evil act. Take King Ahab as a case in point. He was a wicked king with a satanic wife, jezebel. The wickedness perpetrated during his reign far exceeded that of other regimes (1Kings 21:25). Yet, when God spoke to him about an impending judgment, he immediately readjusted, tore his royal robe, wore sackcloth, humbled himself and fasted (1 King 21:27). When God saw the fruit of repentance in him, He deferred his judgment till the next generation. When you say to God “Father, I’m sorry, please forgive me”, is there any fruit of repentance to back it up? Some leaders get involved in terrible sins, and after whispering, “Father, I am sorry”, they continue as if nothing ever happened. Is that genuine repentance? People hardly weep or mourn over their shortcomings anymore. They hardly set themselves apart in fasting and prayer to reach out to God for mercy. No wonder they continue in their sins. If you are sorry, you will bring forth fruit consistent with repentance through your actions. Do you have such fruits?

Key Point:

Repentance goes beyond just saying, “I am sorry”. Your comportment and inner resolve go a long way to validate or discredit your claim.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 14-15
Jeremiah 37

SOUL-WINNING: A MARK OF LIFE

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.John 15:2

Read: john 15:1-6

15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

15:5 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.

15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

Message:

Just as it was needful to fast and pray, it is also needful to win souls to God’s Kingdom regularly. Don’t just win one, two or five souls and stop, continue to win souls at all times. John 15:16 says
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Do you know that regular evangelism can keep you in shape spiritually? If you belong to Christ, you are like a living tree that produces fruit (Psalm 1:3). Any tree that produces good fruit will definitely be appreciated by its owner. Bearing spiritual fruits is one obvious sign that you are still spiritually alive. If you are winning souls often, it shows you are growing spiritually. It takes obedience to the Holy Spirit and partnership with Him to win a soul and to give life to the spiritually dead. If you are not bearing fruit, it could be because you are dead or separated from God. A dead fellow cannot be used as an agent of life. Moreover, in the course of soul-winning, there are some ideas, teachings and abilities that the Holy Spirit will endow you with which you may not easily access through any other means.

The truth is that those who go out for evangelism never go out alone. Why? Since they are out to obey the Lord’s command, which is so important to the Godhead, the Trinity works with them (Mark 16:20). The Lord sees to it that the word of the evangelist does not fall to the ground (Hebrew 2:3-4). The evangelist is a true fellow-worker with God. On the other hand, the fellow who does not win souls is not bringing joy to God’s heart and is also not showing signs of spiritual life. If you continue your Christian life without leading others to Christ, you may be cut off from your source (John 15:2, Luke 13:7). It therefore follows that if you want to grow spiritually, you must make soul-winning a regular activity. You must win souls and continue to win more souls. If you are actively winning souls, you will experience God’s special love and attention. God will also answer your prayers more easily, and increase your capacity to be fruitful by taking away hindrances to fruitfulness from your life. Using your attitude to soul-winning as a benchmark, are you dead or alive?

Action Point:

To catch up on the number of souls you should have won in the past, launch an aggressive personal evangelism outreach drive to bring in at least 100 souls to God’s kingdom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 12-13
Jeremiah 36:20-32

STAND UP FOR SOMETHING

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16

Read: Revelation 3:15-16

3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Message:

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.”
Revelation 3:15
If there is one state that God never wants His children to be in, it is the state of lukewarmness. As seen in the above scripture passage, the Lord speaks His mind on this issue in very strong terms. He says if you want to be hot, be hot, and if you want to be cold, be cold; if you are neither cold nor hot, He will spit you out of His mouth. God has zero tolerance for lukewarmness. As foretold by the Holy Spirit long ago, many Christians in these last days are falling into the state of lukewarmness. Lukewarm people are tasteless in God’s mouth, and hence He cannot stand them. You cannot mix your worship of God with the worship of an idol. How can you put the Ancient of Days on the same platform as an idol that is the contraption of men’s hearts? God is greatly insulted by this. If you want to be a Christian, be a completely devoted one. Serve Him with your life and ensure you glorify Him in all that you do. If you however do not want to be a Christian, do not pretend to be one.

One soul I wish I could have won for Christ is Fela Anikulapo kuti, the late Nigerian Afro-beat music icon. I loved him for one thing: he was not a pretender. His lifestyle clearly showed that he was not on the side of Christ. This man married 27 wives in one day! He was a law unto himself. Some people say they are serving God, and at home they have one wife but outside, they have several mistresses. Stop pretending! If you want to serve, serve Him, but if you don’t want to serve God, stay away from Him. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. A lukewarm fellow will say he likes something, whereas he hates that same thing in his heart. He or she lives a false life. Some people appear to be very active and zealous for God when they are in their country of origin, but when they travel abroad, you will not believe they are the same person you thought you knew. Such people are unable to stand for the truth, and so will find excuses to justify their lack of zeal for the things of God. Lukewarm people are dream-killers and acts as bad influencers. If you are hot and you stay around them, they can discourage you by their attitude. Are you lukewarm? It’s time to come out of that state today! Take a stand for the truth and for living right!

Key Point:

Those who find it difficult to stand up for Jesus still love the world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 10-11
Jeremiah 36:4-19

FOR THE GLORY

And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 

Exodus 14:17

Read: Exodus 14:15-17

14:15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

14:17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

Message:

Do you know that every time God moves to deliver a helpless individual, He gets some form of glory from it? After God led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they were on their way towards the Red Sea, the Egyptians, forgetting all that they had suffered on account of the Israelites, resolved to go after them and bring them back. This was a serious problem for the Israelites, who had lived as slaves all their lives and were just experiencing freedom for the very first time. However, God did not leave them alone; in fact, He prepared Moses and Joshua to physically lead them while He provided spiritual direction and protection. On your way to the place of destiny, the Lord will not leave you alone. As he led the Israelites, so will He lead you in Jesus’ Name. Be assured in your heart that God will not allow your present predicament to drown you, because He knows that His intervention will definitely bring glory to His Name.

“And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.” Exodus 14:17

When God’s children were faced with the serious threat of returning to slavery, although they cried to God for help, one major reason why God intervened was because of the glory or honour He was going to get from it. If you are confronted with a situation you can easily come out of, or a situation someone can help you out with, either you or the fellow who helped you might want to take or partake of the glory when the problem is solved. In contrast to this, when you are pushed to a corner, with no specialist, parent, relative, friend or pastor to help, when God intervenes in such situations and the issue is resolved, He alone will take the glory. God does not like to share His glory with anyone or anything (Isaiah 42:. Unfortunately, many people who give testimonies still share in or even completely rob God of His glory. The summary of their testimonies is that they prayed so much, fasted so long, gave a lot or were very smart and got their miracle because of this. Such people are glory thieves. There are many people who have done much more than they did and yet their situations have not changed. God can step into your situation because of the glory He will get from it, so never tamper with His glory.