VICTORY THROUGH PRAISE

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 2 Corinthians 10:4

Read: 2nd Chronicles 20:21-26

20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.

20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

20:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

20:26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

MESSAGE:

The easiest way to access victory in the kingdom of God is through praise. Each time we praise the Name of the Lord, great and marvellous things are bound to happen. If you are a believer and you do not yet know the essence of praise, you are missing a lot of blessings, opportunities and privileges. Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Almighty. The moment we are committed to the realm of praise, things begin to happen at His command. There are people who have been knocking on certain doors of opportunities before now, but to no avail. Why don’t you try praise? You will be surprised at how fast those doors will open. The fact that you are praising the One that is higher than the highest should give you the assurance that your case is settled. Praise to God is an indication of absolute trust in Him. Those who put their confidence in God will always praise Him until they receive their victory, and even after receiving their victory, they still praise Him. It is the desire of the Almighty God that all His children should move from one level of victory to the other. When the people of God praise Him, infirmities, yokes, bondage, barrenness and all the works of the devil are destroyed. In the realm of praise, every limitation gives way.
In the battle of life, some are victors while some are victims. I decree into your life that you will continue to enjoy the victory of the Lord in Jesus’ Name. Victors know how to move God into action. God is looking for people who can move Him through their praise. Such people will enjoy His mercy instead of receiving His judgement. Praise is the most powerful instrument we can use to move God. The whole of creation was designed to praise God (Psalm 150:5, Psalm 148). The greatest assignment of angels in Heaven is praising God (Revelations 4:8-9, Psalm 148:2). When we get to heaven, our assignment will be to keep praising God (Revelations 7:14-15, Psalm 145:2). Praise has greater impact whenever we come together to offer it to God, because His throne is set wherever His people are praising Him (Psalm 22:3).

When you bow before God in praise, you are showing that He alone is the Most High. Jehoshaphat enjoyed the victory of the Lord without fighting a battle! This is what praise can do. While the enemies were gathering their mercenaries and weapons of war against Judah, the people of God gathered momentum for praise. They believed in the victory of the Lord by faith, and all their enemies were smitten before them. From today, as you praise the Lord, He will stand in your place and take over every battle of your life, and your victory shall be total in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, let Your praise never cease from my lips.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 9-11
Isaiah 43:1-15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR

1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.

3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
'All, all is well.'
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

PERILOUS TIMES ARE HERE

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

Read: 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

MESSAGE:

With all that we see and hear happening in different parts of the world today, it is no longer news that we are already in perilous times. This is why it is very urgent that we maximise the time that we have left in propagating the gospel of the Lord to those who are yet to know Him. We should carefully study the words of Ephesians 5:14-16 and obey its instructions. In these verses of Scripture, the Holy Spirit says,

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

In this modern age, where people are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, believers must watch against satanic wiles and temptations.

We must avoid all forms of false doctrine that abound in churches today. Let us remain in the simple gospel of Jesus which is capable of seeing us through to the very end. There are false teachers rising up every day with different kinds of teachings and beliefs, using their influence to spread erroneous doctrines to unsuspecting believers. This is why you need to be selective of where you go and who you listen to. Those who go to church today only get excited when they are told what they want to hear. The Holy Spirit forewarned us of this in 2nd Timothy 4:3:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.”

Let us therefore run with the message of the gospel into every part of the world; reminding everyone that those who are not on the Lord’s side on the last day will be eternally destroyed. Let us do the work of an evangelist, and go after those people who have strayed from the straight and narrow way. Let us bring back those sheep which are carelessly grazing on their fields, away from the presence of their Shepherd. These are those who started well but have become consumed by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. The signs of the second coming of Christ are daily being fulfilled before our eyes. In order not to be caught unawares, you must prepare yourself daily through self examination. The enemy of your soul is out there seeking how to devour you; don’t allow him to truncate your destiny. Ensure that you make no provision for the flesh, and put out all the works of darkness around you. Be prepared for His second coming!

Prayer Point:

Father, fill me with the consciousness of the second coming of Christ at all times.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 3-5 and Isaiah 41:21-42:9

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13 : WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain

Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love. Refrain

GOD HAS SUBSTITUTES

For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Acts 1:20

Read: 1 Samuel 15:16-16:1

15:16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

16:1 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

MESSAGE:

One truth that everyone born of God must have at the back of their minds is that God has substitutes. He can therefore never be held to ransom by anyone. Whenever God decides to use a person, if that fellow does not yield to God at the time of His requisition, God will move on to use another person to fulfil His purpose. More often than not, such substitutes are better than the original recipients of God’s mandate. Such was the case with King Saul.
"And Samuel said unto him, the LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou."
1 Samuel 15:28

When a man feels too big to obey God’s instruction, he is not fit for God’s use. In the family of the works of the flesh, pride, stubbornness and rebellion are kinsmen, with witchcraft as their first cousin (Galatians 5:19-21). The Lord through Samuel reminded King Saul that there was nothing special about him before He made him king over Israel. King Saul himself did not see himself as qualified, yet God’s grace preferred him, despite the fact that he came from the least of the tribes of Israel (1 Samuel 9:21). This is the reason why whosoever God decides to use should not allow himself or herself get carried away by the glamour of the office he or she is occupying. The fellow should always keep in mind where he or she is coming from and what he or she used to be. God does not use the qualified; rather, He qualifies the fellow He wants to use.

When King Saul began to feel too big to obey the Lord’s commandment, he was replaced with a ready-made substitute, whom the Lord declared to be better than King Saul. My prayer for you is that you will not be replaced in the scheme of things in God’s kingdom in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, we should know that God has substitutes that can readily replace us if we fail to yield to His instructions. Never see yourself as being indispensable before God. Take heed to what the Lord Jesus Christ said concerning this in Matthew 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."

Prayer Point:

Father, please help me to overcome anything I am doing now that may eventually make You find a substitute for me in Your Kingdom. Please don’t replace me with anyone or anything.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 1-2
Isaiah 41:8-20

FAITH IN PRACTICE

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26

Read: James 2:14-26

2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

2:15 If a brother or sister be Unclad, and destitute of daily food,

2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

MESSAGE:

One common error in Christendom today is to think that it is scriptural to confess your way to success without backing up such confessions with works. Faith in practice is actually the opposite of this. It is not just about confessing scriptures, but about acting it out when confronted with real life circumstances and situations. Faith in practice is what produces the miracle-working power of God. In contrast of faith, unbelief upsets God and we must all run away from it. The children of Israel could not enter into the Promised Land because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). In Mark 2:1-12, a paralytic man was brought before Jesus by four men who broke the roof of a house to get him there. This was faith in practice. They were practically saying to all the forces and situations surrounding this man’s life that they were ready to get injured while climbing and nothing would stop them. They were also ready to take up the financial burden of damaging and repairing the roof of a house that was not theirs. They did all this because they knew that the challenges facing them were nothing when compared with the blessedness of having their paralytic friend receive his miracle. There are people who have many different versions of the Bible in their homes but do not practice the faith they read in it. Some even possess a PhD in the study of the Bible but still have no faith. This is because they read and study it, but they don’t apply its content to their lives.

Some years back, we went to Haiti to hold a city-wide crusade, and we were blessed to have a live broadcast of it on radio. There was a man just lying on a bed in his house who accidentally tuned his radio to the station airing our programme. In the course of preaching, the Lord said to me that there was someone within the reach of my voice who was impotent and that He was healing him right away. I relayed this message as I was told. When this man heard it, he said to himself, ''How did this Pastor know that I am impotent even though He cannot see me?'' He immediately checked himself and realised he had been completely healed. He then left all he was doing, found his way to the crusade ground and surrendered his life to Jesus. If only you can believe and act on what God says, you also will share your own testimony in Jesus’ Name. Who are the Goliaths harassing you? Consider that Goliath came to the battle with a sword, spear and shield, while David came in the Name of the Lord of hosts (1 Samuel 17:45). Although David challenged Goliath with his mouth, he did not stop there. He picked up five smooth stones, not just one (1 Samuel 17:40). Even though one stone was enough to bring down Goliath, David did not take chances. That is faith in practice. I decree that every Goliath that is standing between you and your miracles shall be brought down completely in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point:

Faith is acting on the word of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 20:21
Isaiah 40:24-41:7

LIVING WITHIN THE DIVINE WILL

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

Read: Matthew 26:37-42 (KJV)

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

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

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

MESSAGE:

Until you get to the point of conviction where you accept the fact that you can never have anything better than what God has for you, life will remain a struggle. There are many people struggling to find their place in life, but as a child of God you were not created to live by chance. You were designed by God to walk in His blueprint for your life, and so anything less than what God intends for you should be rejected. Living within the divine will means having an understanding of God’s plan for you in every area of your life. The will of God is always higher and greater than the will of man. His thoughts are directed towards our peace and fulfilment in this world (Jeremiah 29:11). This is why it is necessary to discern and hear what God is saying about the present phase of your life. There are people who are in the wrong job. No matter how much they work, they can never be successful because they are struggling with what God has not wired them for. Some people are in the wrong location, while some others are in relationships that drive away the presence of God from them. Do you know that there are people you meet in life who negatively impact your destiny? There are even some people you meet, and after they are gone out of your life, you find yourself drained, because all they did was use you. God’s will is to increase you and not to use you. However, you have to wait upon the Lord and never outrun Him because He is the one leading you.

Examples abound in the Scripture of those who struggled with the will of God for their lives before they understood what God would have them do. Moses thought he was doing the right thing when he killed an Egyptian, since he was born for the purpose of delivering the children of Israel from the hands of their Egyptian oppressors (Exodus 2:11-12). However, he walked outside the will of God by taking action at the wrong time and also by using the wrong approach. Jacob was also aware of God’s plan for him to be greater than his elder brother, but he devised a crooked method of obtaining the covenant blessing from his father. Consequently, he had no rest until he learnt to surrender to God. Have faith in God that you will become what He wants you to become; not by folding your hands and doing nothing, by being diligent in your walk of faith.

What is not enough today will be more than enough tomorrow through God’s help. Remember the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning (Job 42:12). Learn to wait. He who waits never loses, but he who is hasty never gains. Seek God’s face, and ask Him for the needed grace to run the race. God places a high premium on his children who are ready to align their words, actions, thoughts and decisions with the standards of Heaven.

Prayer Point:

Father, grant me grace to patiently wait and work towards actualising Your will for my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 14-15 and Isaiah 38:4-19

PRACTICAL SALVATION

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Read: Luke 3:3-14 (KJV)

3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin 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.

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

10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

MESSAGE:

In today’s Bible reading, we gain insight into what it means practically to be saved. To be saved means to repent from your dead works and to be alive unto Christ in righteousness. Practical salvation is making your ways right with God without any reservation. When you are genuinely saved, everyone around you will see it. It cannot be hidden because you will no longer be comfortable in the midst of your sinful former friends. Practical salvation is impacting the lives around you by demonstrating the love of Christ through giving. I always tell people that whatever you give away may leave your hands but it will never leave your life. There is no other way to show the world the true nature of Christ without identifying with the challenges of people. Jesus was compassionate towards all those He met who were in need. How can you claim to be a Christian when you live in affluence but do not bother about what happens to the man beside you?

“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Ephesians 4:24

Practical salvation involves putting off our old Adamic nature and manifesting the divine nature of Christ. We receive this divine nature, referred to as the new man, through repentance from our old ways and having faith in Christ’s work of salvation. The character of this new man says “Let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:28). It also uproots every root of bitterness, anger, wrath, envy, hatred and the likes out of your life.

When you put on the new man, you will be ready to put right all that have gone wrong in your life, through the grace of the Almighty God. If something belonging to your organisation or the government has been taken by you without being given, practical salvation demands that you return it. If you have been working with a forged certificate and you now say you are born again, you have to let go of this pretence and amend your ways. Several years ago, before I met the Lord, I was a school teacher and I needed to take care of one of my visitors. This need made me take a bed from the school dormitory. However, after my visitor left, I still held on to the bed. Seven years after this happened, I gave my life to Christ and I noticed that this bed was still in my house. I lost my peace immediately because there was a new spirit in me. To practically demonstrate my salvation, I had to pay double for the bed because the Jesus living in me would not allow me return a used bed after seven years of holding unto it.

Key Point:

When you are saved, your neighbours will know.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 12-13 and Isaiah 37:28-38:3

THE GOD OF ALL IMPOSSIBLITIES

For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37Read: Genesis 18:1-15

18:1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

18:5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

18:7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

18:13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

18:14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

18:15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

MESSAGE:

The awesomeness of God is made manifest in situations that are tagged impossible. Our God likes to get involved in such cases so that they serve as reference points to those who have doubts in their hearts about Him. What is that impossible situation you are confronted with? God can use it to demonstrate to the world that there is no situation, no matter how bad, that He cannot reverse. In today’s Bible reading, the three men who came on a visit to Abraham and Sarah were on a mission to remind them that God is a God of plan and purpose. Have you been waiting a long time for that precious promise of God to come to pass? I have good news for you: your season of divine visitation has come in Jesus’ Name. Abraham and Sarah had given up and were no longer optimistic about the promise of a child to them. Sarah could not help laughing when she heard that time and life would be restored to her, because she knew her age and the deadness of her womb. Her scepticism made the Lord ask “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Are you looking at the doctor’s professional report concerning your case? I want to let you know that the report of the Lord will override every negative report concerning you in Jesus’ Name.

Lazarus was dead and was already buried for four days (John 11:39). Nobody wanted to get close to his tomb because he was already stinking; yet the Lord went to that hopeless situation and reversed the irreversible. The Lord decided to take His time before going to Mary and Martha, in order to convince the whole world that even though people may have given up on you, He is always there to demonstrate to them that they are not your creator. There is nothing that the redemption paid for by Christ cannot take care of. Are you struggling with poverty, or are you getting in and out of hospital beds? Have you been labelled a permanent failure or been told nothing good can come out of your life? Know that there is a God in heaven who works wonders among men. If He sees that your natural season is over, He then reminds the world that “He changes times and seasons” (Daniel 2:21a). If He realises there are powerful forces contenting with your life, He lets them know that "He removeth kings, and setteth up kings" (Daniel 2:21b). If the world says you are no longer relevant in the scheme of things, He tells them that "He giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Daniel 2:21c). With these assurances, you should thank God and praise Him all your life, knowing that your desires will come to pass. There shall be expedited reversal of every negative circumstance in your life today in Jesus’ Name.

Key Point:

There is no impossibility with God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 11
Isaiah 37:14-27