RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OPTIONAL

:As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that
pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Proverbs 11:19
Read: Hosea 10:12
10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in
mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time
to seek the LORD, till he come and rain
righteousness upon you.
Message
It is interesting to note that the righteousness
that mankind has detested from generation to
generation, right from the fall, is not optional!
Many scholars have endeavoured to explain away
what righteousness entails and play down its
importance to the point that sermons that
encourage righteous living are now scarce. Sweet
and pet talks have replaced sermons that demand
righteous living. That is why St. Paul admonished
his spiritual son, Timothy thus:
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long
suffering and doctrine. 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." 2
Timothy 4:2-3
There are some lessons to be learnt from the
above scriptures; firstly, sermons that will
produce righteous living must contain reproof,
rebuke, exhortation and doctrine. Secondly, there
is a time in the life of a Christian pilgrim when he
will have to make himself intentionally available
to reproof and rebuke. This is because, after a
long stay in the Church environment, which might
have earned him titles, he might no longer be
teachable.
Thirdly, righteous living requires indoctrination;
doctrines that are sound. In other words, there
are doctrines that are not sound. So, believers
must beware of doctrines of the devil.
"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;" 1 Timothy 4:1
Today, some children of God make righteousness
an optional virtue to their own danger because
the scripture cannot be broken. It says:
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord."
Hebrews 12:14
Beloved, it is true we shall be ultimately saved by
grace. This is why we must pray for that grace to
live righteously without struggle, because there is
no grace in struggle. This is what makes the
Christian faith unique. Our God is able to help us
live for Him if we are willing and obedient. If we
will not rationalise sin but admit it as it is and
cry to God for help. The Bible says:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world. " Titus 2:11-12
I pray that as you desire righteousness today, the
grace of God will bring it upon your life in Jesus'
name.
Prayer Point:
Father, let your grace abound in my heart so that
I may begin to live life pleasing to you as from
now on in Jesus' name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Colossians 1-4 and Psalms 19:1-6
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,

THE OVERCOMERS

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,
and this is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith.
1st John 5:4
READ: 1John 5:1-6, (KJV)
5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is
born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat
loveth him also that is begotten of him.
5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God, and keep his commandments.
5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments: and his commandments are not
grievous.
5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith.
5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even
Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and
blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,
because the Spirit is truth.
MESSAGE
Many people do not know how to overcome. This is the
reason why they run from pillar to post, looking for
protection against the attack of the agents of
destruction. The Bible says:
“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
It is needless to run helter-skelter in search of
protection. As a matter of fact, there is no other
source of protection than Jesus Christ. Our memory
verse for today affirms that whoever is born-again
overcomes the world through faith in the Son of God,
Jesus Christ. The questions now are: what does it
mean to be born-again and how can you be born-again?
To be born again, according to John 3:3-5, is to be
transformed supernaturally by the Spirit of God when
we admit to our sins, confess them, forsake them and
accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. When
we experience this transformation, we become
children of God. In other words, we become His
favourites and He will begin to watch over us. Then,
the promise of Jesus concerning protection will be
fulfilled in our lives. He said:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover.”
Mark 16:17-18
However, to be born of God demands some things from
us. The Bible says in our text for today that the only
way to know we are born of God is when we keep His
commandments. Jesus said:
“…. If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and
make our abode with him”
John 14:23
To be born of God is to keep His commandments. This
is contrary to some counterfeit Christians of the
present age. You cannot continue committing sin and
claim that you are born again. Another obligation of
someone that claims to be a child of God is that he or
she must keep himself or herself pure (1st John 3:3).
The Bible says
“Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them”
Hebrews 7:25
Beloved, there is abundant safety in Christ, come to
Him with a strong determination to go with Him all
the way; you will not be disappointed.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please make me an overcomer today and
forever.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Philippians 1-4 and Psalms 18:43-50
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN : MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE
My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.
Chorus:
My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.
Chorus:
My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

IT IS FINISHED

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor; that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2nd Corinthians 8:9

Read: John 19:28-30, (KJV)

19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

19:29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Bible in one year: Ephesians 4:17-6:24, Psalms 18:29-42

MESSAGE

When our Lord Jesus Christ cried, “It is finished”, He really did mean that it is finished. However, some children of God do not know the important of that statement. Some believe that the wages of sin have been fully paid and so we are on our way to Heaven. Correct. Some people believe that all the misfortunes that came upon human race as a result of the fall have been paid for. This is equally true. The problem we must however fix in our devotional reading for today is irregularity in the doctrine of the atonement of Jesus Christ. We must get it right and perfect.

Some believe that when Jesus Christ said “it is finished” He meant that He had paid the debt of sin in full and do not believe that they are missing a gem in the work of redemption. This category of disciples focus on the spiritual aspect of redemption, without paying close attention to the physical. It is needful here to say that the atonement of Jesus Christ is all-encompassing – spiritual, physical, material, emotional, psychological and what have you. For example, when Adam sinned, it was not only the spiritual aspect of his life that was affected; his career as a gardener was affected because he had to labour more for less. Even his wife had to undergo the rigours of labour at childbirth. In the same vain, when the cure for sin came, it came in full. So, if you have been redeemed by His death at Calvary, I say congratulations because your ailing business, marriage, health condition etc are now redeemed! The Bible says:

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet, for your sakes he became poor; that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
2nd Corinthians 8:9

The Irregularity on the other hand, has to do with the belief in some quarters that because Christ has paid our debt in full, we can indulge in sin. This is not correct. Jesus Christ paid it in full to cater for actual and habitual sins. This is why the Bible says:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest,”
1st John 3:9-10a

On her encounter with Jesus Christ, the woman whose sin of adultery was forgiven her was told to “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11). So also was the impotent man that was healed by Jesus (John 5:4). Beloved, Jesus paid it in full for your deliverance for spiritual and physical calamities; sin, sickness, poverty and all, but He did not pay for you to continue in sin. (23 July 2016 open heavens)

Prayer Point

Father, I thank you for sending your Son, Jesus to pay the debt He did not owe on my behalf. Please let this atoning work deliver me from all woes of sin in Jesus’ name.

NOT A VIRTUE!

MEMORISE : As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a
fool returneth to his folly. PROVERBS 26 : 11
READ : PROVERBS 15 : 20 - 21 :
20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man
despiseth his mother.
21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but
a man of understanding walketh uprightly.
MESSAGE :
Foolishness is not a virtue; rather it is a vice that
costs its victim eternity in hell fire. The Bible says
that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
( Proverbs 9 : 10 ). In other words, lack of the fear of
God is the beginning of foolishness. So, when someone
decides to live without the fear of God, he does
whatever he pleases without consideration for the
Word of God, he feels he is free to do whatever he
likes with his life, he behaves as if he owns his life,
but in actual sense, his life is borrowed and the
Owner may ask for it anytime. Our Lord Jesus told a
parable of a prosperous farmer who did not reckon
with God in all his dealings. Considering the wealth he
had possessed he said :
"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods
laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink,
and be merry.But God said unto him, Thou fool, this
night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose
shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke
12 : 19 - 20.
Some people who claim to be children of God behave
foolishly sometimes. Our memory verse for today
says: "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool
returneth to his folly." Some brethren who had been
modest and holy are now regretting their past pure
Christian life! Those vanities they forsook in the
past are now back in full force. This scripture is now
fulfilled in their lives. Jesus said when a demon is
cast out of a man, he goes away but after sometime
he comes back to check whether that life is still
empty. If he finds the life empty he goes back to
take seven more powerful demons to take possession
of the life ( Luke 11 : 24 - 26 ). It is foolishness to
go back to your old lifestyle after you have been
cleansed from your former sins and impurities. The
Bible says :
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the
world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and
overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning." 2 Peter 2 : 20.
In the past, you could identify a child of God from
afar off ( with few exceptions of those who were
pretenders ). Many things that are now being
celebrated were abominations in those days. It is
unfortunate that a wholesale return to those vanities
is now in vogue. Some Christian scholars were brought
to me in my office by their leaders many years ago
and I saw assorted wild paintings- red, green, silver,
brown, pink etc on their faces and lips. I could not
help but tell them that that was the first time I
would see Bible scholars in such a wild exhibition of
vanities. Their leader then promised that he would do
something about it and that when Lazarus came out
from the dead he was gradually striped of the grave
clothes he had on. Theologians know how to explain
things away. Beloved, going back from your first love
is not a virtue; it is rather a vice. Repent today,
tomorrow may be too late.
ACTION POINT :
Check your life and see if there is any foolish act of
sin, unrighteousness or backsliding. Repent.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EPHESIANS 1 : 1 - 4 : 16
AND PSALMS 18 : 20 - 28.
AUTHOR : PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.
HYMN 4 : TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.