Rccg Open Heavens Devotional, December 2017
open heavens DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE : MONDAY 1ST january 2018
THEME : THANK YOU FATHER!
Memorise:
Bless The Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:2
Read : Psalm 150:1-6
1: Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary:
2: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4: Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5: Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6: Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Message
King Hezekiah declared a profound truth when he testified that only the living can praise the Lord ( Isaiah 38:19 ). Children of God, as living spirits, we have many reasons to be thankful for. Whenever I consider the lovingkindness of God and His tender mercies, demonstrated through protection, providence, love, forgiveness, healing, good health and, above all else, salvation of the soul, I always come to the conclusion that indeed the Lord has been very gracious to His children. No wonder the Holy Spirit, in Psalm 150:2, succinctly instructs us to
“Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.”
This is so important that in Psalm 103:1-5, David counsels his own soul to bless the Lord in thanksgiving, admonishing himself not to forget any one of God’s benefits. In other words, there is tendency for us to forget all that the Lord has done for us. Nevertheless, we have no reason to be ungrateful to God, because His goodness forever flows to us. Prophet Jeremiah testifies of this truth in Lamentations 3:22-23, saying:
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Moreover, what is our joy as children of God? It is the assurance of better tomorrow: the assurance of better year ahead of us. Only those who are saved by the grace that is in Christ Jesus have this assurance. Declaring this assurance, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 3:10 says,
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. “
Who is the righteous? The righteous is the one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Saviour. The righteousness of Christ is bestowed upon such person because they believe and have appropriated the ransom paid on their behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world ( John 1:29 ). God is saying to you that you should be grateful to Him for all He has done for you in the past, particularly in the just concluded year . If you remain thankful, your tank of blessings shall be full as you go into the New Year. However, not giving your life to the One who paid the supreme price for your salvation is the greatest form of ingratitude. Therefore, repent and give your life to Christ today! He will be your Shepherd and you shall want nothing throughout the New Year and in the years to come. Hallelujah!
Action point:
Thank the Lord for all His goodness and mercies over your life in the past; give your life to Him afresh and renew your commitment to serve Him in holiness and perfect obedience in this New Year.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 1
AUTHOR : Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
Hapi New Year...
I see God working mighty wonders in ur life dis Year. Hallelujah.🙌🙌🙌
SATURDAY 30TH December 2017, THEME: OF SEASON
MEMORISE:
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:4
READ: James 5:1-6
5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten.
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
MESSAGE
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes3:1
It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything. Life is split into different seasons. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is also a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastics 3:4). One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. In order words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to naught in Jesus’ Name!
“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Luke 16:25
In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord told the story of a rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. These two characters experienced different seasons on earth that contrasted greatly with the seasons they found themselves eternally living in after they died. While the rich man enjoyed a good season on earth, he found himself in an unending season of torment in eternity. On the other hand, Lazarus experienced very bad seasons while on earth, but he found himself enjoying an unending season of joy in eternity. One crucial lesson here is that if your stay on earth is just to enjoy yourself without giving consideration to having a good relationship with God, be prepared to spend an eternity without God. If you live life without Christ, you will live an eternity separated from God. In other words, how you live today will determine the permanent season you will experience in eternity. What season are you bringing upon yourself for eternity? In our Bible reading, rich men living in so much affluence and engaging in the excesses of the rich were asked to mourn over the evil season that would befall them in time to come. Are you going through a bad season in life? You shall soon enter a new season of joy in Jesus’ Name. If you are in Christ, that season of joy will led to a permanent season of joy in eternity. Thank God for your new season of joy. Hallelujah!
ACTION POINT
Take stock of the high and low points in your life this year. What could you have done differently to avoid some of the low points?
FRIDAY 29TH December 2017, THEME: EXCELLENT SERVICE OR EYE-SERVICE?
MEMORISE:
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Ephesians 6:6
READ: Ephesians 6:5-8
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
MESSAGE
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
God’s expectation concerning your service towards His Kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God. A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching. Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesian 6:6 saying,
“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their pastor or superior as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?
If you love the praise of men more than the commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards! How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives of your job? Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God. If you truly love and fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you to do, whether your superiors are there or not. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.
PRAYER POINT
Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.
THURSDAY 28TH December 2017, THEME: PREVENTING FORNICATION
MEMORISE:
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2
READ: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
7:6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
MESSAGE
Yesterday, the Lord spoke to us about His intention for Christian homes not just to add to the population of the earth through procreation, but to produce children that meet heaven’s specification of godly seed, who will represent God everywhere they go and obey Him to the letter. May your home produce such godly seed in Jesus’ Name! Another reason why God established the institution of marriage is to prevent fornication. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says,
“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
This scripture speaks of the need for husband and wife to be intimate so as not to fall into the pit of sexual immorality. It is common in some homes today for the wife to deny her husband of intimacy just because he has not fulfilled certain requests she made, or for the husband to deny his wife intimacy because he is not happy with her. This is at variance with God’s expectations and an abuse of the purpose of sexual intimacy. It is wrong to use sex as a tool for punishing your spouse. People should learn to isolate issues and not mix them up. Neither the husband nor the wife has the power to deny sexual intimacy except it is a temporal arrangement, for the purpose of prayer and fasting, and this must be by mutual consent. Denial of sexual intimacy is viewed as fraud from God’s perspective (1 Corinthians 7:4-5).
Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home. It is only a foolish woman who will give conditions for intimacy. When you starve your spouse of intimacy, you expose him to external dangers and temptations. Some women who are married to pastors and ministers of God take it for granted that their husband can never go out of their matrimonial homes, and as a result they begin to deny them sexual intimacy at will. Going by recent realities, such women may get the shock of their lives! There are those who use spirituality as basis for starving their spouse. I don’t suppose such people can be more spiritual than Apostle Paul, who wrote the admonition in 1 Corinthian 7:4-5. Some of these people are almost always fasting and praying. Please control your fast before you cause irreparable damage to your home.
PRAYER POINT
Father, uproot every spirit of immorality causing married people in my local assembly to be unfaithful to their spouses.
WEDNESDAY 27TH December 2017, THEME: HEAVEN’S SPECS
MEMORISE:
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:15
READ: Malachi 2:14-15
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
MESSAGE
Marriage between a man and a woman is approved by God. Besides companionship and receiving a life-time helper, another reason why God established marriage is for the continuity of the human race. Genesis 1:28 says,
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
After creation, God blessed man to be fruitful, to multiply and refill the earth. Similarly, in Genesis 9:1, after the great flood that wiped out all of mankind except Noah and his family, God pronounced the same blessing on them. Beloved, God loves fruitfulness, and that is one reason why He instituted marriage. He wants the human race to multiply and spread all over the earth. His desire is for the earth to be subdued and dominated by man whom He has created in His own image. However, this does not justify raising a family without planning for it. If you are married, you and your spouse should prayerfully decide how many children you would add to populate the earth. Never bring children you are not able or prepared to take care of into this world.
While God wants all of mankind to multiply, He particularly wants those who are His own to bring forth godly seeds. In order words, while regular inhabitants of the earth are reproducing and adding to the world’s general population, believers are expected to raise godly seeds that would later reach out to the rest of the world. In today’s Bible reading, the Lord plainly stated that He allowed His children to marry so as to produce special children: a godly breed. God wants children who meet ‘heaven’s specifications’ from the homes of His people. Can He say that He has found them in your own home? Not every Christian family can raise these special breed of children, even though they have the potential to. It takes a deliberate collaborative effort between the Holy Spirit and parents to raise children who meet God’s specification of a godly seed. These are heaven-bound children who will walk closely with the Holy Spirit in their lifetime. Their foundations are laid in God’s word and doctrine. They are grounded in the knowledge of God and are carriers of His light. May God help us raise godly seed for His glory in Jesus’ Name.
KEY POINT
Christian couples should not just trust God for babies but for godly seeds.
TUESDAY 26TH December 2017, THEME: MARRIAGE: HELPERS.
MEMORISE:
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Proverbs 31:11
READ: Proverbs 18:22-24
18:22 Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth the favour of the Lord.
18:23 The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.
18:24 A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
MESSAGE
On the 23rd of this month, the Lord took us to the beginning of His creation to learn that companionship is one major reason why He established the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:18). God does not want adults to be alone. After marriage, some people refuse to stay in the company of their spouse, giving excuse such as not being “compatible” with their spouse. If you knew you were not compatible with your spouse, why did you venture into marriage with him or her in the first place? Sometimes, the untold underlying reason behind this incompatibility is the gap in educational qualifications, social status or financial power of the couple. In such case, God expects that the one in the advantage position in the relationship would assist the other to climb up until the gap is bridged. Your wife is your number-one companion. Some men are always in the company of other women. This is a violation of God’s law on companionship.
Moreover, another reason why God established marriage is to raise a permanent helper for the man and vice versa. The term “help meet” used in Genesis 2:18 refers to adequate and appropriate help. In other words, if you obtain your wife or husband from God, you can be assured that God has given you an appropriate destiny helper. Do you know that the fortunes of some people improve tremendously after marriage? Adam could say he had a helpmate because Eve was the bone of his bone, and the flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:21-23). If you marry the right woman God has for you, favour will suddenly reside in your home (Proverbs 18:22). She will prevent waste of resources in your home and load you with good throughout your lifetime (Proverbs 31:11). This also applies to a woman who marries the right husband. For this reason, it is very important to go to God for your spouse, like Adam received Eve from God. If you get a spouse from God as His child, it enhances your prospects of making Heaven (1 Kings 21:25). However, if you get your spouse from friends, relations, computerized match-making services, date clubs, or by your own self will, you may be getting a destroyer instead of a helper. When you have the right man as a husband, he will be a crown over you and help you become what God has in store for you. Help is reciprocal. The reason why some people were plunged into ‘hell” from the day their marriage started is because they refused to go to the Creator for Him to help them take that crucial decision that has the potential of determining lives and destinies.
ACTION POINT
To make the right decision on who to marry, go to the Creator of all men for help, and He will surely lead you to the right person for you. He knows all people and the contents of their hearts.
MONDAY 25TH December 2017, THEME: WHO DO YOU SEEK?
MEMORISE
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Matthew 28:5
READ: Matthew 2:1-11
2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
MESSAGE
What you focus on will seriously affect your ability to achieve your destiny, realize your goals and glorify God. Many children of God were focused on Jesus Christ before they became exposed to luxurious cars, mansion and exotic lifestyles, but after the Lord prospered them, they began to ask the Lord questions as to why they should live their lives in accordance with His principles, which got them to where they are in the first place. While prosperity is good, it is only beneficial for as long as it is balanced with a lifestyle of godliness. Prosperity that does not have Christ at its center is vain and only a passing shadow. A beautiful mansion without Jesus is Hell, while a hut with Jesus in it is heaven on earth.
In todays’ Bible reading, we are told that some wise men came to seek Jesus. According to Bible scholars, these men must have travelled for at least two years before they got to their destination. They did not arrive immediately Jesus was born, as it is popularly depicted. From Herod’s enquiries on what time they first saw the guiding star, he could calculate that Jesus could be up to two years old when the wise men arrived. This was why in an attempt to kill the child, he decreed that children who were two years old and younger be killed (Matthew 2:16). When the wise men eventually arrive at the place where Jesus was, they worshipped Him and gave Him gifts. Worship is incomplete without an offering. Proverbs 13:20 says,
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
If you want to be wise like the wise men, you will back your worship up with a good offering. Come before His presence with joy and singing; bring Him gifts and worship Him, and you will be glad you did. Why? Everyone who ever saw Jesus and worshiped Him benefitted from it. The wise men did not travel for two years in vain. After they saw the young Jesus and offered Him gifts, their deed was immortalized. For over 2000 years, their story is still being told around the world wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached. Who or what would you really love to see? I want to see Jesus. After working with God for several years, Moses still asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:17-23). I often wondered why, before I got the revelation. Job equally had the rare privilege of seeing God (Job 42:1-6). If you search for Him this Christmas season, you will sorely find Him. Are you focused on the reason for the season or lost in the vanity that the world seeks?
KEY POINT:
The wise men diligently sought for Jesus and they found Him. If you also seek Him diligently, you will surely be rewarded. MERRY CHRISTMAS❤
SUNDAY 24TH December 2017, THEME: BENEFITS OF SUPREME LOVE
MEMORISE:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21
READ: John 14:20-23
14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, 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.
MESSAGE
One of the greatest invitations we have from the Lord Jesus Christ is the call to love Him. In Matthew 10:37 he says,
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
This invitation is not just to love Jesus, but to love Him supremely. It is a call to love Him above everyone who is precious to us: parents, children, family and friends. If you truly love someone, you would be ready to defend your love for that person at any cost. Sometimes, when you love two different people and the two parties are in disagreement over an issue, you will find yourself supporting the person you love more against the one you love less. When the Lord’s instructions are in conflict with the beliefs of loved ones, most people would choose to please their loved ones rather than obey the Lord’s instructions. Do you love Jesus above everyone and everything else? Do you love Him above your career, work, academic pursuit, etc?
There are great benefits for those who love Jesus supremely. First, Jesus says they will be regarded as being worthy of Him. They will be qualified to carry His banner everywhere they go, and they are assured of the backing of the Most High God. Also, according to John 14:21, if you love Jesus supremely, God the Father will make you the target of His love and you will bask in it. In addition, the Lord will manifest Himself to you. Check out all those who experienced a manifestation of the Lord, like Saul of Tarsus; their lives never remained the same (1Corinthians 15:5-. Furthermore, John 14:23 says,
“Jesus answered and said unto him, 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.”
From this scripture, another benefit of you loving Jesus supremely is that both Jesus Christ and God the Father will make your heart their permanent residence. If you experience the reality of this truth, you will enter into the realm of Heaven on earth, where no devil or demon dares to come near you (Deuteronomy 11:21). Are you satisfied with your relationship with the Godhead? Why stay where you are when you can take your love for Christ to the limits and have the Godhead fully living with you?
KEY POINT
Love is so powerful! You can love God to the extent that He will personally come and introduce Himself to you.
FRIDAY 22ND December 2017, THEME: WORKING SOMETHING OUT
MEMORISE
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
READ: Genesis 50:15-21
50:15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
50:16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
MESSAGE
Not every seemingly negative situation is as bad as it looks or sounds. In fact, for those called according to God’s purpose, who love God and are in His will, every event works to deliver something good to them (Romans 8:28). This is why we are told that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you view every incident with your limited understanding, you will be deceived. God can bring out something good from the evil works of your enemies, and in the end, they will end up being fooled, deceived or misguided. If you walk with the Holy Spirit and allow Him shed His light on events happening around you, you will see what He is working out for you, and you will react differently to seemingly unpleasant things. Instead of sorrowing or being aggrieved, you would be rejoicing and celebrating. Why? It is because you have begun to see as the Holy Spirit sees.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
Beloved, if you are saved and standing in God’s will, please know that whatever God allows to come your way is for your good. In the various situations of life you are confronted with, God is working something out for you. He is always in control. The devil may brag, shake the whole place and get everyone afraid, but God is the One at the helm of affairs. He is the One holding the rudder of the ship. He is fully in control and He never stops working. As the devil is scheming, God tampers with his plans. By the time his plans materialize, instead of working against you as originally designed, the devil will see them working for your good and in your favour. Even in very bad situations, God can still work out something good. Can you imagine anything good ever coming out of Samson’s fall? After he fell and was arrested, he was shaved, blinded and made an object of mockery by the Philistines (Judges 16:17-30). However, when he repented, God tinkered with his situation and at the end of it all; the enemies he killed in his pitiable state were more than all those he killed while he had his eyes and freedom. Beloved, just submit to God in whatever situation you find yourself and you will be shocked at what great feat God can still achieve through you in that situation.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I thank You for always causing all things to work together for my good.
THURSDAY 21ST December 2017, THEME: ASHAMED OF YOUR FAITH?
MEMORISE:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
READ: Philippians 1:20-21
1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
MESSAGE
Do you desire and seek rest for your soul? There is a rest in Jesus Christ that you can never find elsewhere. To access this rest, you must be ready to receive His yoke by denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him daily. (Matthew 11:29). To find rest for your soul, you must reach a point where you are no longer ashamed of Jesus Christ. You must conquer shame or be dead to it with regard to your faith in Christ Jesus. To this end, Paul said this to us, from his experience:
“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” Philippians 1:20
Are you still ashamed to publicly declare your faith in Christ? Do you allow people to intimidate you concerning your faith in Christ Jesus? Get out of that pit of shame today and let everyone who cares to know be informed that you are a true child of God! Let your lifestyle support your confession and copy Jesus in all that you do!
A confirmation that you have conquered shame with respect to your faith in Christ is that you would be bold to face anyone, anywhere and say to them that you are for Jesus Christ. If you are not bold, it is because you are infested with fear. If you have fear inside you and you are not a baby Christian, please check your life for sin. Why? Proverbs 28:1 says,
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Sin always brings in some degree of fear to a person’s life. There is a relationship between sin and fear. In the same vein, there is a relationship between righteousness and boldness (confidence). When you live your life transparently in righteousness, you will be bold and courageous. You will also be able to muster increasing levels of faith. If you do not have faith in your prayers being answered, it could indicate the presence of sin in your life. Sin kills expectations and hope. When you live to please God, your expectations will be strong and your hope will be strong. Check your life today. If you are lacking in boldness, faith, hope and expectation, there just might be some sins you haven’t confessed lurking around the corner.
PRAYER POINT
Father, grant me boldness to declare my faith in every situation I find myself in this world.
WEDNESDAY 20TH December 2017, THEME: A MATTER OF CHOICE
MEMORISE:
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalm 35:27
READ: Genesis 32:3-6
32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
MESSAGE:
If you measure life by the experiences of some people, you will live far from your God-given purpose and barely scratch the surface. Some people are alive but only just surviving from day to day. In Luke 13:11-17, the woman who was bound for 18 years did not die, but she was merely surviving and not living. Also, the man with the unclean spirit in Mark 1:23-26 was continually going to church, and yet he was inhabited by an unclean spirit. It was even in the synagogue that the Lord met him. Although he was living, he was the captive of a demonic spirit. What of Naaman who appeared to be a distinguished and successful man, and yet he had a problem that no man could solve (2 Kings 5:1)? Just like the individuals in all these examples, many people today are barely surviving, and are not living life as purposed by God for them. God not only wants you to live life, He also wants you to enjoy the abundant life that He gives (John 10:10). Are you not tired of “managing”, struggling to survive, and living from hand to mouth? If you are truly tired, the Lord will make a way for you.
God is interested in the overflow of His blessings upon your life. He does not just want you to be healed; he also wants His healing virtue to flow through you to others. He wants you to be free from captivity, and beyond this, He also wants you to set the captives free. God does not want you just to be rich but also to lend to nations. He wants you to be so prosperous that when nations cannot balance their budgets, they will come and pay you a visit. God wants you to bring great joy to your family, community, city and nation. However, no matter how much He wants the overflow for you, He will respect what you want for yourself. He cannot force an overflow of His blessing on you when you want so little of it. There are different levels of greatness, and your choice of the type of life you want for yourself has a role to play in determining how great you become. Let us see the example of Esau. Yes, he sold his birthright, but as a seed of Abraham, he was so blessed from the remnant of blessing pronounced on him that he had 400 bodyguards. How many bodyguards do ministers, senators, state governors or even presidents have today? So you would agree that Esau was not doing badly. However, compared to Jacob his brother, who became a great nation, the difference is definitely clear. Do you want to merely survive, or do you want to be truly blessed with the overflowing portion of God’s blessings? The choice is yours!
PRAYER POINT
Father, I am tired of just managing to survive. I choose the overflow of Your blessings. Please release it to me and my family now.
TUESDAY 19TH December 2017, THEME: STUDENT FOR LIFE!
MEMORISE:
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5
READ: Proverbs 1:1-6
1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
MESSAGE
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5
According to the above scripture, knowledge is good, although not all knowledge is necessary for the children of God. It also states that only a wise fellow will benefit from what he hears. If you are taught something but you fail to act on it, you are at a great disadvantage compared to those who were not exposed to such information at all. Why? Jesus says that on the last day, it is the word of God that will judge us. In other words, any sound teaching from God’s word that you heard but fail to act upon will stand against you on the last day. This means that just as the word of God can liberate a person, that same word can also condemn him or her. May you not be condemned by what you have heard in Jesus’ Name! This is why you need to live your life by every word of God or teaching from the Bible you have received.
From Proverbs 1:5, we also learn that if knowledge is given its rightful position in your life, what you are taught will provoke you to desire more knowledge. In other words, if you are wise, you will always remain a student throughout your life, because one revelation of God’s word will prompt you to search for another in an unending chain. In this regard, believers are expected to be like professionals who need to constantly update their knowledge. Are you always seeking to know more? Do you find time to read good, inspiring books? It is popularly said that leaders are readers. If you fail to read and learn from the experiences and wealth of knowledge of others, you will only be left with the stale information that you have inside you. Therefore, seek knowledge from today! For you to lead in your group, you ought to know what others do not know. According to Ecclesiastics 9:18, winning a war is not only dependent on the nature of the weapons available to you, but more on what you know and your ability to apply what you know to the situation at hand. If there is one area every believer in Christ should work on, it is to know God more. How well are you doing in this area?
KEY POINT:
It is either you are current and open heavens DAILY DEVOTIONAL , or you become stale and abandoned. Its your choice to make!
BIBLE
FRIDAY 15TH december 2017, THEME: GOOD FROM BUBBLE
MEMORISE
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17
READ: John 16:4-7
16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
16:5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
MESSAGE
Everybody has a choice to make on the issue of focus in life. Your focus has a way of directing your activities and dictating how well or badly your resources are utilized. It is therefore great wisdom to make Jesus Christ your focus. May the Lord grant you grace to do so in Jesus’ Name. When you walk with God for a while, you will come to realise that He specialises in bringing something good out of something seemingly bad. This is why it is well said that opportunities are wrapped up in unpleasant packages. This truth was demonstrated in the life of Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-15). To Elisha, losing his mentor and master was seemingly a bad thing, but this had to happen for Him to get promoted to the office of the national prophet and become a mentor to others. Similarly, it was seemingly a bad thing when Jesus Christ had to be beaten and His body was torn in shreds. However, this was the price He had to fully pay for us to access healing for all kinds of diseases (1 Peter 2:24). This tells us that not every bad event is truly bad, particularly as it relates to children of the Most High God (Romans 8:28).
*“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”*
John 16:7
After spending just three and a half years with His disciples, the time came for the Lord to leave them. This was an unthinkable scenario for them, and it was most undesirable! The disciples were not ready to let the Master go, not even when they knew that He needed to go to the cross in obedience to God. In fact, Peter was prepared to involve himself in physical combat in his attempt to prevent Jesus from leaving them. However, Jesus needed to depart for the Holy Spirit to come. Some people may have to leave the scene so that you can move from obscurity into limelight. Have you been left out in the cold? Something will happen that will cause a sudden divine remembrance of you this season in Jesus’ Name! King Uzziah had to die for Prophet Isaiah to see more clearly (Isaiah 6:1). The Lord will do something about your matter today! Whether good or bad, things will happen that will favour you in Jesus’ Name. Both good and bad will work in your favour this period! As bad as afflictions appear to be, 2 Corinthians 4:17 says they are actually working great rewards for us. May every seemingly bad event work for your good in Jesus’ Name!
PRAYER POINT
Father, in seemingly bad situations I have been through or that I am going through now, please open my eyes to see the good inherent in them.
WEDNESDAY 13TH december 2017, THEME: ALL SECRETS SHALL BE UNCOVERED
MEMORISE
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Romans 2:16
READ: Luke 12:1-3
12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
MESSAGE
Those who attempted to hide their sins or cover up their errors fail to realize that nothing can be hidden from God, the heavenly saints and even from God’s angels. A child of God who indulges in a hypocritical lifestyle is yet to be broken in spirit. Do you realize that God can expose the secret deeds of anybody He chooses to (Daniel 2:47)? If He has not revealed yours, it is not because you are smart, but because He is still giving you some time of grace to make amends. In the early Church, the secret conspiracy of a couple was revealed by the Holy Spirit, and this led to their death (Acts 5:1-11). No matter how deep that secret deed is buried, it can still be exposed at anytime.
In addition, a day is coming when everyone’s secret deeds will be made public before a staggering crowd of every person that has ever inhabited the earth all through the ages. This will happen at the Great White Throne Judgment, where everyone who ever lived on earth will be divinely summoned, and stand before the Almighty God to face their final judgment and thereafter receive their eternal sentence (Revelation 20:11-15). On that great and terrible day, the past will be harmonized with the present to determine the eternal future of everyone. Before the greatest screen, every life will be reviewed before everyone, and then comes the sentence. The only people who will not be judged at that universal judgment are those who were saved and washed in the Blood of Jesus, and who must have sustained their faith in Christ until they died or were raptured. On that day, these saints will be part of the judges who will sit over the rest of the people from all nations, color, tribe and tongues (1 Corinthians 6:2). On that day, would anyone still have a secret? No wonder Jesus said that there is nothing done in secret that shall not be exposed, and nothing said in private that shall not be broadcast from the mountain top. How prepared are you to face the judgment of God? How long will you continue to live in secret sin? Repent today and live in holiness and prepare for the Lord’s return.
KEY POINT:
Calling yourself a Christian (light) but living in secret sin (darkness) is a hypocritical life. Are you not tired of this?
SUNDAY 10TH December 2017, THEME: INVITATION TO GREATER WORKS.
MEMORISE:
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luke 10:17
READ: Matthew 14:23-29
14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
MESSAGE
On one of their journeys by sea, the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on water. Astonished to see this wonder, Peter asked the lord Jesus Christ if he could join Him, and the Lord invited him to come. Peter’s fellow disciples watched in amazement as he walked towards Jesus on the water. If only they too had responded to the Lord’s invitation, they would have partaken of this awesome experience, but they were not courageous enough to step out. Nevertheless, that invitation to do the impossible was not limited to them. It is still opento you and me today. In John 14:12, Jesus said,
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Beloved, the call to do the works of Jesus and even perform greater works than He did is a call to do the impossible. To be able to do this, you must be prepared to believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart, leaving no space for doubt. Do you believe in Him? Why then do you still leave room for doubt? Don’t you know that the Lord never fails?
Furthermore, Jesus invites us to follow Him. John 8:12 says,
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
As the Light, if you follow Jesus, you will not walk in darkness, and neither will you stumble. Also, if you follow Him, He will make something great out of your life. He will make you what you never dreamt you could become. Consider a person like Peter: he would have died an unknown fisherman if he had not accepted Christ’s invitation to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-19). Have you accepted that invitation to follow Jesus? Today, some people give various excuses for not following Him. One of such excuses is that they do not want to be disturbed or distracted from their life’s goal or ambition, failing to realize that if only they accepted the Lord’s invitation, they would have had a greater future and they would have enjoyed His backing in all their life’s endeavors. Have you heeded his invitation?
KEY POINT:
The call to follow Jesus is a call to true discipleship. Are you His disciple?
SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2017, THEME: STOP THE PRETENCE!
MEMORISE:
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 1Timothy 1:5
READ: 1Timothy 1:5-9
1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
MESSAGE
Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people’s lives. The consequence of processing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretense. To guard against this wile of the devil, the holy spirit in 1 timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus:
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”
While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in a dunghill, you will not go to eat from there. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretense and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to his cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.
Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue to stealing and still lay claim to salvation. While my father-in-the-lord was alive, if you claimed to be saved, he would ask you these questions: “what were you saved from? What were you doing before that you no longer do now?” today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that? In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, “Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophesies are deadly accurate.” “Is that so?” I replied and further added, ‘I am not a prophet but a pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while.” He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was “No”. So I said to him, “Your future will be terrible.” Alarmed, he said, “How do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!” I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says “Woe to the wicked!” on the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on a particular day? If not, do it today!
KEY POINT
The afterlife has no room for pretense. It’s all about reality and truth.
HOW CONCEALED ARE SECRETS? - Friday December 8th 2017
THURSDAY 7TH December 2017, THEME: ERODING GOD’S HONOUR?
MEMORISE
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Malachi 1:6
READ: Malachi 1:6-8
1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
MESSAGE
For your prayer to be a sweet savour before the Almighty God, you must be prepared not only to praise Him but also to honour His Name. You cannot truly claim to belong to God without reverencing or honouring His Name. This is why the Lord posed this crucial question to us in Malachi 1:6:
“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”
If you look at the two types of relationships referenced in the above Scripture passage, you will agree with me that the lower member of each relationship owes a type of honour to the higher member. A son owes his father a higher degree of honour and respect borne out of love. Also, a servant owes his master some degree of fear, honour and regard, as the master is the source of the servant’s livelihood. As a result of these, a father can demand honour of his son, just as a master can demand honour of his servant. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, many people who claim to be God’s children, prefer to relate with God without giving Him the honour due to His Name. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable to the One to whom all honour is due.
Today, the Lord is asking, “where is my honour?” In other words, there are many honour-thieves in the Christian fold. Are you an honour-thief? If you call on God’s Name without giving it the high regards it deserves, you are an honour-thief. If you fail the materials test, by offering to God a defective gift or a gift that does not befit His status as the King of kings, nor reflect the levels of blessings on your life, you are an honour-thief. If you treat His assignments or handle His work with anything less than the honour due to Him, you are an honour-thief. If your lifestyle makes people look down on your God, you are an honour-thief. If you offer torn currency notes to God, when you know you cannot even use such to pay for things, you are an honour-thief. Do you honour God in all you do?
ACTION POINT:
Carefully come up with 5-10 ways of honouring God. Go ahead and implement them.
Topic: What Do You See? — Wednesday 6, December 2017.
Knowledge Delivers — Tuesday 5, December 2017.
Memorise: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. – Proverb 4:7
Read: Daniel 2:46-49 (KJV)
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Bible in One Year: Psalm 106-107, Habakkuk 2:2-20, Sing Hymn 1 – My Faith Looks Up To Thee
MESSAGE
The Scriptures declare that wisdom is a major asset we must acquire (Proverb 4:7). To get wisdom, you have to first lay its foundation stones with knowledge. What you know can determine your position in life. It was what Joseph knew, together with the ability to interpret dreams that God used to move him from the prison to the throne (Genesis 41:1-44). In other words, the stop-gap between you and your place of destiny is knowledge. Can you truthfully say that you know enough to get you to your place of destiny? If your answer is in the negative, then start acquiring knowledge today. In many corporate organizations, preference is given to those who have acquired more knowledge than others. This is why there is a tendency to select employees with higher degrees for higher positions in these organizations. So don’t just remain stagnant in knowledge, acquire more of it! Enroll for higher degrees and relevant online or offline training programmes to position yourself for a more successful career ahead of time. What you know can promote you and bring you before kings.
Furthermore, what you know can deliver you from death. No wonder the Lord, in Hosea 4:6a, said:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
It was the information Daniel and his colleagues received from God that delivered them and the rest of the wise men of Babylon from death. In other words, what you don’t know can kill you. Ignorance is not just a disease, but a killer – a worse killer than some diseases. Ignorance is a terrible destroyer! Lack of knowledge can lead to a lot of wasteful spending. For example, if a person doesn’t know the importance of maintaining good hygiene, he or she will fall sick often and waste money on treatments that could have been avoided. Do you know that many people are being taken advantage of by the devil because they do not know their rights and privileges in God’s kingdom? They do not know that they have been healed by the stripes of Jesus, and so they continue in sickness. If you fail to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to be rich, you will remain in poverty and even celebrate it like some people do today. What do you know?
Action Point: If you do not yet have a degree and you are less than 60 years, consider enrolling for one.
MONDAY 4TH december 2017, THEME: WORTH CELEBRATING
MEMORISE
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because hour names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
READ: Luke 10:17-20
10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
MESSAGE:
If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says,
” Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing power of His Blood can save you. Thank God that Jesus fully paid the price of our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption – Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished”. (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?
Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy! After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue. He then told them what the object of their joy should be:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your li
fe; it is well worth it.
KEY POINT
If you knew the severity of eternal hell, you would treasure the salvation of your soul and thank God always for it.
TITHING IS TRUSTING - Sunday December 3rd 2017
Memorise: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Read: Proverbs 3:5-7 (KJV)
3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Bible in one year: Psalm 93 – 101, Nahum 3:5-19, Sing Hymn 14
MESSAGE
To experience exploits in your life, you must have a personal relationship with God. You must believe that He lives and love Him with all your heart. You must also learn to trust in Him. The command to pay tithes on your earnings simply places a demand on you to trust in God. Your response to this command shows the level of trust you have in Him. If you can pay your tithe correctly, it shows that you trust God for your livelihood, but if you find it difficult to be faithful in doing this, it simply shows that you trust more in your earnings than in God to sustain you. After I became newly born again and we were taught to pay tithes, I laughed and said in my mind, “These people do not know that I am a mathematician. If 100% is not enough for me, how can 90% be enough after I have paid 10% as tithe? Thank you very much! Even though these people are not educated, they still want to use their smartness to take 10% of my income from me. Let them try and take it” However, down the line, God convinced me by Himself and I observed remarkable changes in my life.
In those days, I was a lecture in the university. I had a car but was afraid to drive in Lagos so I got a driver. At the end of the month, I would pay my driver his salary, but by the middle of the next month, I would have to borrow money from him to buy petrol (gasoline). This happened month after month. I continued to struggle with my finances and even had to spend all my earnings. However, when I started paying my tithes, I suddenly realized I did not need a driver anymore, because boldness came from nowhere and I could now drive myself. Also, I did not have to visit hospitals again because I now had the Great Physician as my doctor. My children did not fall sick again, and that leakage in my finances was blocked off. All of a sudden, doors of opportunities began to open to me because I trusted the Lord. Are you still struggling with tithing? If you are, it only shows that you do not trust God to take care of you. The truth is, whatever you are paid may never be sufficient to meet all your needs because you are limited to that source, whereas you are open to various devourers. In contrast, when you tithe, you will have access to resources beyond your income because God’s storehouse will be opened to you, and He will also block every source of losses in your life. It is a matter of choice. Why don’t you start trusting God from today by paying your tithe faithfully?
Key Point:
It is shocking to know that quite a number of God’s children cannot trust God with their finances.
DATE; SATURDAY 2ND December 2017, THEME: BACKSLIDING NOT AN OPTION.
MEMORISE:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
READ: Matthew 27:3-5
27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Message
One unfortunate thing about backsliding is that backsliders often fall so slowly that they hardly notice their deteriorating state. By the time some of them realise how far they have gone, it is rather too late. Are you a backslider? May the Lord restore you fully to Himself today! According to James 1:14-15, backsliding is a process that progresses from lust to sin, and ultimately ends with death. In Luke 22:3-6, Judas accepted to be paid 30 pieces of silver to betray his Master. He must have thought he was going to make some quick, free money. He probably believed that nobody would be able to capture Jesus. After all, how could anyone apprehend the man who calmed the storms by His word? However, after the plot blew up in his face, he felt so disappointed in himself that he returned the money and committed suicide by hanging himself. The question is, why steal or accumulate what you are not going to spend? Do you know that some people, who are stealing, particularly from God, will not be able to spend their evil loot? Those who steal God’s money to buy a car are only driving a moving coffin which can claim their lives at any time.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
On the straight and narrow way to Heaven, overconfidence has killed a lot of people, preventing them from making it to the very end. A case in point is Samson. His fall from grace, which led eventually to his tragic death, was a gradual process. From violating little instructions not to eat anything from a dead animal as a Nazarite, to unwholesome jesting and riddles that made light of the commandment of God he had broken, to visiting a harlot, and eventually ending his ministry on Delilah’s laps (Judges 14-16, Numbers 6:1-21). Overconfidence has brought many people to the pitiable place where they are now. Always remember that nobody can stand by his or her own power alone, except God helps the fellow. In fact, we are so weak that we need to always rely on God’s strength to live the Christian life. Have you ever thought or even boasted that you cannot fall? You are just like Peter who boasted that he would never deny Christ, but at the end of the day he denied Him thrice (Matthew 26:31-36). Recognize your weakness and engage in regular Bible study, prayers and fasting to draw strength from God. Furthermore, deliberately avoid any appearance of evil that can tempt you, and break any tie that can lure you back into sin. The Lord will keep you from falling, and He will restore you if you are already down.
ACTION POINT:
Pray that God will keep genuine Christian leaders across the globe from falling.
open heavens DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE : MONDAY 1ST january 2018
THEME : THANK YOU FATHER!
Memorise:
Bless The Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:2
Read : Psalm 150:1-6
1: Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary:
2: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4: Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5: Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6: Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Message
King Hezekiah declared a profound truth when he testified that only the living can praise the Lord ( Isaiah 38:19 ). Children of God, as living spirits, we have many reasons to be thankful for. Whenever I consider the lovingkindness of God and His tender mercies, demonstrated through protection, providence, love, forgiveness, healing, good health and, above all else, salvation of the soul, I always come to the conclusion that indeed the Lord has been very gracious to His children. No wonder the Holy Spirit, in Psalm 150:2, succinctly instructs us to
“Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.”
This is so important that in Psalm 103:1-5, David counsels his own soul to bless the Lord in thanksgiving, admonishing himself not to forget any one of God’s benefits. In other words, there is tendency for us to forget all that the Lord has done for us. Nevertheless, we have no reason to be ungrateful to God, because His goodness forever flows to us. Prophet Jeremiah testifies of this truth in Lamentations 3:22-23, saying:
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Moreover, what is our joy as children of God? It is the assurance of better tomorrow: the assurance of better year ahead of us. Only those who are saved by the grace that is in Christ Jesus have this assurance. Declaring this assurance, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 3:10 says,
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. “
Who is the righteous? The righteous is the one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Saviour. The righteousness of Christ is bestowed upon such person because they believe and have appropriated the ransom paid on their behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world ( John 1:29 ). God is saying to you that you should be grateful to Him for all He has done for you in the past, particularly in the just concluded year . If you remain thankful, your tank of blessings shall be full as you go into the New Year. However, not giving your life to the One who paid the supreme price for your salvation is the greatest form of ingratitude. Therefore, repent and give your life to Christ today! He will be your Shepherd and you shall want nothing throughout the New Year and in the years to come. Hallelujah!
Action point:
Thank the Lord for all His goodness and mercies over your life in the past; give your life to Him afresh and renew your commitment to serve Him in holiness and perfect obedience in this New Year.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 1
AUTHOR : Pastor E. A. ADEBOYE
Hapi New Year...
I see God working mighty wonders in ur life dis Year. Hallelujah.🙌🙌🙌
SATURDAY 30TH December 2017, THEME: OF SEASON
MEMORISE:
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:4
READ: James 5:1-6
5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten.
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
MESSAGE
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes3:1
It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything. Life is split into different seasons. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is also a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastics 3:4). One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. In order words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to naught in Jesus’ Name!
“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Luke 16:25
In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord told the story of a rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. These two characters experienced different seasons on earth that contrasted greatly with the seasons they found themselves eternally living in after they died. While the rich man enjoyed a good season on earth, he found himself in an unending season of torment in eternity. On the other hand, Lazarus experienced very bad seasons while on earth, but he found himself enjoying an unending season of joy in eternity. One crucial lesson here is that if your stay on earth is just to enjoy yourself without giving consideration to having a good relationship with God, be prepared to spend an eternity without God. If you live life without Christ, you will live an eternity separated from God. In other words, how you live today will determine the permanent season you will experience in eternity. What season are you bringing upon yourself for eternity? In our Bible reading, rich men living in so much affluence and engaging in the excesses of the rich were asked to mourn over the evil season that would befall them in time to come. Are you going through a bad season in life? You shall soon enter a new season of joy in Jesus’ Name. If you are in Christ, that season of joy will led to a permanent season of joy in eternity. Thank God for your new season of joy. Hallelujah!
ACTION POINT
Take stock of the high and low points in your life this year. What could you have done differently to avoid some of the low points?
FRIDAY 29TH December 2017, THEME: EXCELLENT SERVICE OR EYE-SERVICE?
MEMORISE:
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Ephesians 6:6
READ: Ephesians 6:5-8
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
MESSAGE
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10
God’s expectation concerning your service towards His Kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God. A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching. Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesian 6:6 saying,
“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their pastor or superior as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?
If you love the praise of men more than the commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards! How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives of your job? Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God. If you truly love and fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you to do, whether your superiors are there or not. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.
PRAYER POINT
Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.
THURSDAY 28TH December 2017, THEME: PREVENTING FORNICATION
MEMORISE:
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2
READ: 1 Corinthians 7:1-9
7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
7:6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
MESSAGE
Yesterday, the Lord spoke to us about His intention for Christian homes not just to add to the population of the earth through procreation, but to produce children that meet heaven’s specification of godly seed, who will represent God everywhere they go and obey Him to the letter. May your home produce such godly seed in Jesus’ Name! Another reason why God established the institution of marriage is to prevent fornication. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says,
“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
This scripture speaks of the need for husband and wife to be intimate so as not to fall into the pit of sexual immorality. It is common in some homes today for the wife to deny her husband of intimacy just because he has not fulfilled certain requests she made, or for the husband to deny his wife intimacy because he is not happy with her. This is at variance with God’s expectations and an abuse of the purpose of sexual intimacy. It is wrong to use sex as a tool for punishing your spouse. People should learn to isolate issues and not mix them up. Neither the husband nor the wife has the power to deny sexual intimacy except it is a temporal arrangement, for the purpose of prayer and fasting, and this must be by mutual consent. Denial of sexual intimacy is viewed as fraud from God’s perspective (1 Corinthians 7:4-5).
Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home. It is only a foolish woman who will give conditions for intimacy. When you starve your spouse of intimacy, you expose him to external dangers and temptations. Some women who are married to pastors and ministers of God take it for granted that their husband can never go out of their matrimonial homes, and as a result they begin to deny them sexual intimacy at will. Going by recent realities, such women may get the shock of their lives! There are those who use spirituality as basis for starving their spouse. I don’t suppose such people can be more spiritual than Apostle Paul, who wrote the admonition in 1 Corinthian 7:4-5. Some of these people are almost always fasting and praying. Please control your fast before you cause irreparable damage to your home.
PRAYER POINT
Father, uproot every spirit of immorality causing married people in my local assembly to be unfaithful to their spouses.
WEDNESDAY 27TH December 2017, THEME: HEAVEN’S SPECS
MEMORISE:
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. Malachi 2:15
READ: Malachi 2:14-15
Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
MESSAGE
Marriage between a man and a woman is approved by God. Besides companionship and receiving a life-time helper, another reason why God established marriage is for the continuity of the human race. Genesis 1:28 says,
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
After creation, God blessed man to be fruitful, to multiply and refill the earth. Similarly, in Genesis 9:1, after the great flood that wiped out all of mankind except Noah and his family, God pronounced the same blessing on them. Beloved, God loves fruitfulness, and that is one reason why He instituted marriage. He wants the human race to multiply and spread all over the earth. His desire is for the earth to be subdued and dominated by man whom He has created in His own image. However, this does not justify raising a family without planning for it. If you are married, you and your spouse should prayerfully decide how many children you would add to populate the earth. Never bring children you are not able or prepared to take care of into this world.
While God wants all of mankind to multiply, He particularly wants those who are His own to bring forth godly seeds. In order words, while regular inhabitants of the earth are reproducing and adding to the world’s general population, believers are expected to raise godly seeds that would later reach out to the rest of the world. In today’s Bible reading, the Lord plainly stated that He allowed His children to marry so as to produce special children: a godly breed. God wants children who meet ‘heaven’s specifications’ from the homes of His people. Can He say that He has found them in your own home? Not every Christian family can raise these special breed of children, even though they have the potential to. It takes a deliberate collaborative effort between the Holy Spirit and parents to raise children who meet God’s specification of a godly seed. These are heaven-bound children who will walk closely with the Holy Spirit in their lifetime. Their foundations are laid in God’s word and doctrine. They are grounded in the knowledge of God and are carriers of His light. May God help us raise godly seed for His glory in Jesus’ Name.
KEY POINT
Christian couples should not just trust God for babies but for godly seeds.
TUESDAY 26TH December 2017, THEME: MARRIAGE: HELPERS.
MEMORISE:
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Proverbs 31:11
READ: Proverbs 18:22-24
18:22 Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth the favour of the Lord.
18:23 The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.
18:24 A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
MESSAGE
On the 23rd of this month, the Lord took us to the beginning of His creation to learn that companionship is one major reason why He established the institution of marriage (Genesis 2:18). God does not want adults to be alone. After marriage, some people refuse to stay in the company of their spouse, giving excuse such as not being “compatible” with their spouse. If you knew you were not compatible with your spouse, why did you venture into marriage with him or her in the first place? Sometimes, the untold underlying reason behind this incompatibility is the gap in educational qualifications, social status or financial power of the couple. In such case, God expects that the one in the advantage position in the relationship would assist the other to climb up until the gap is bridged. Your wife is your number-one companion. Some men are always in the company of other women. This is a violation of God’s law on companionship.
Moreover, another reason why God established marriage is to raise a permanent helper for the man and vice versa. The term “help meet” used in Genesis 2:18 refers to adequate and appropriate help. In other words, if you obtain your wife or husband from God, you can be assured that God has given you an appropriate destiny helper. Do you know that the fortunes of some people improve tremendously after marriage? Adam could say he had a helpmate because Eve was the bone of his bone, and the flesh of his flesh (Genesis 2:21-23). If you marry the right woman God has for you, favour will suddenly reside in your home (Proverbs 18:22). She will prevent waste of resources in your home and load you with good throughout your lifetime (Proverbs 31:11). This also applies to a woman who marries the right husband. For this reason, it is very important to go to God for your spouse, like Adam received Eve from God. If you get a spouse from God as His child, it enhances your prospects of making Heaven (1 Kings 21:25). However, if you get your spouse from friends, relations, computerized match-making services, date clubs, or by your own self will, you may be getting a destroyer instead of a helper. When you have the right man as a husband, he will be a crown over you and help you become what God has in store for you. Help is reciprocal. The reason why some people were plunged into ‘hell” from the day their marriage started is because they refused to go to the Creator for Him to help them take that crucial decision that has the potential of determining lives and destinies.
ACTION POINT
To make the right decision on who to marry, go to the Creator of all men for help, and He will surely lead you to the right person for you. He knows all people and the contents of their hearts.
MONDAY 25TH December 2017, THEME: WHO DO YOU SEEK?
MEMORISE
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Matthew 28:5
READ: Matthew 2:1-11
2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
MESSAGE
What you focus on will seriously affect your ability to achieve your destiny, realize your goals and glorify God. Many children of God were focused on Jesus Christ before they became exposed to luxurious cars, mansion and exotic lifestyles, but after the Lord prospered them, they began to ask the Lord questions as to why they should live their lives in accordance with His principles, which got them to where they are in the first place. While prosperity is good, it is only beneficial for as long as it is balanced with a lifestyle of godliness. Prosperity that does not have Christ at its center is vain and only a passing shadow. A beautiful mansion without Jesus is Hell, while a hut with Jesus in it is heaven on earth.
In todays’ Bible reading, we are told that some wise men came to seek Jesus. According to Bible scholars, these men must have travelled for at least two years before they got to their destination. They did not arrive immediately Jesus was born, as it is popularly depicted. From Herod’s enquiries on what time they first saw the guiding star, he could calculate that Jesus could be up to two years old when the wise men arrived. This was why in an attempt to kill the child, he decreed that children who were two years old and younger be killed (Matthew 2:16). When the wise men eventually arrive at the place where Jesus was, they worshipped Him and gave Him gifts. Worship is incomplete without an offering. Proverbs 13:20 says,
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
If you want to be wise like the wise men, you will back your worship up with a good offering. Come before His presence with joy and singing; bring Him gifts and worship Him, and you will be glad you did. Why? Everyone who ever saw Jesus and worshiped Him benefitted from it. The wise men did not travel for two years in vain. After they saw the young Jesus and offered Him gifts, their deed was immortalized. For over 2000 years, their story is still being told around the world wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached. Who or what would you really love to see? I want to see Jesus. After working with God for several years, Moses still asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:17-23). I often wondered why, before I got the revelation. Job equally had the rare privilege of seeing God (Job 42:1-6). If you search for Him this Christmas season, you will sorely find Him. Are you focused on the reason for the season or lost in the vanity that the world seeks?
KEY POINT:
The wise men diligently sought for Jesus and they found Him. If you also seek Him diligently, you will surely be rewarded. MERRY CHRISTMAS❤
SUNDAY 24TH December 2017, THEME: BENEFITS OF SUPREME LOVE
MEMORISE:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21
READ: John 14:20-23
14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, 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.
MESSAGE
One of the greatest invitations we have from the Lord Jesus Christ is the call to love Him. In Matthew 10:37 he says,
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
This invitation is not just to love Jesus, but to love Him supremely. It is a call to love Him above everyone who is precious to us: parents, children, family and friends. If you truly love someone, you would be ready to defend your love for that person at any cost. Sometimes, when you love two different people and the two parties are in disagreement over an issue, you will find yourself supporting the person you love more against the one you love less. When the Lord’s instructions are in conflict with the beliefs of loved ones, most people would choose to please their loved ones rather than obey the Lord’s instructions. Do you love Jesus above everyone and everything else? Do you love Him above your career, work, academic pursuit, etc?
There are great benefits for those who love Jesus supremely. First, Jesus says they will be regarded as being worthy of Him. They will be qualified to carry His banner everywhere they go, and they are assured of the backing of the Most High God. Also, according to John 14:21, if you love Jesus supremely, God the Father will make you the target of His love and you will bask in it. In addition, the Lord will manifest Himself to you. Check out all those who experienced a manifestation of the Lord, like Saul of Tarsus; their lives never remained the same (1Corinthians 15:5-. Furthermore, John 14:23 says,
“Jesus answered and said unto him, 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.”
From this scripture, another benefit of you loving Jesus supremely is that both Jesus Christ and God the Father will make your heart their permanent residence. If you experience the reality of this truth, you will enter into the realm of Heaven on earth, where no devil or demon dares to come near you (Deuteronomy 11:21). Are you satisfied with your relationship with the Godhead? Why stay where you are when you can take your love for Christ to the limits and have the Godhead fully living with you?
KEY POINT
Love is so powerful! You can love God to the extent that He will personally come and introduce Himself to you.
FRIDAY 22ND December 2017, THEME: WORKING SOMETHING OUT
MEMORISE
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
READ: Genesis 50:15-21
50:15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
50:16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
50:18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.
50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
MESSAGE
Not every seemingly negative situation is as bad as it looks or sounds. In fact, for those called according to God’s purpose, who love God and are in His will, every event works to deliver something good to them (Romans 8:28). This is why we are told that we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you view every incident with your limited understanding, you will be deceived. God can bring out something good from the evil works of your enemies, and in the end, they will end up being fooled, deceived or misguided. If you walk with the Holy Spirit and allow Him shed His light on events happening around you, you will see what He is working out for you, and you will react differently to seemingly unpleasant things. Instead of sorrowing or being aggrieved, you would be rejoicing and celebrating. Why? It is because you have begun to see as the Holy Spirit sees.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
Beloved, if you are saved and standing in God’s will, please know that whatever God allows to come your way is for your good. In the various situations of life you are confronted with, God is working something out for you. He is always in control. The devil may brag, shake the whole place and get everyone afraid, but God is the One at the helm of affairs. He is the One holding the rudder of the ship. He is fully in control and He never stops working. As the devil is scheming, God tampers with his plans. By the time his plans materialize, instead of working against you as originally designed, the devil will see them working for your good and in your favour. Even in very bad situations, God can still work out something good. Can you imagine anything good ever coming out of Samson’s fall? After he fell and was arrested, he was shaved, blinded and made an object of mockery by the Philistines (Judges 16:17-30). However, when he repented, God tinkered with his situation and at the end of it all; the enemies he killed in his pitiable state were more than all those he killed while he had his eyes and freedom. Beloved, just submit to God in whatever situation you find yourself and you will be shocked at what great feat God can still achieve through you in that situation.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I thank You for always causing all things to work together for my good.
THURSDAY 21ST December 2017, THEME: ASHAMED OF YOUR FAITH?
MEMORISE:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
READ: Philippians 1:20-21
1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
MESSAGE
Do you desire and seek rest for your soul? There is a rest in Jesus Christ that you can never find elsewhere. To access this rest, you must be ready to receive His yoke by denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him daily. (Matthew 11:29). To find rest for your soul, you must reach a point where you are no longer ashamed of Jesus Christ. You must conquer shame or be dead to it with regard to your faith in Christ Jesus. To this end, Paul said this to us, from his experience:
“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.” Philippians 1:20
Are you still ashamed to publicly declare your faith in Christ? Do you allow people to intimidate you concerning your faith in Christ Jesus? Get out of that pit of shame today and let everyone who cares to know be informed that you are a true child of God! Let your lifestyle support your confession and copy Jesus in all that you do!
A confirmation that you have conquered shame with respect to your faith in Christ is that you would be bold to face anyone, anywhere and say to them that you are for Jesus Christ. If you are not bold, it is because you are infested with fear. If you have fear inside you and you are not a baby Christian, please check your life for sin. Why? Proverbs 28:1 says,
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Sin always brings in some degree of fear to a person’s life. There is a relationship between sin and fear. In the same vein, there is a relationship between righteousness and boldness (confidence). When you live your life transparently in righteousness, you will be bold and courageous. You will also be able to muster increasing levels of faith. If you do not have faith in your prayers being answered, it could indicate the presence of sin in your life. Sin kills expectations and hope. When you live to please God, your expectations will be strong and your hope will be strong. Check your life today. If you are lacking in boldness, faith, hope and expectation, there just might be some sins you haven’t confessed lurking around the corner.
PRAYER POINT
Father, grant me boldness to declare my faith in every situation I find myself in this world.
WEDNESDAY 20TH December 2017, THEME: A MATTER OF CHOICE
MEMORISE:
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalm 35:27
READ: Genesis 32:3-6
32:3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
32:4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and women servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
32:6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
MESSAGE:
If you measure life by the experiences of some people, you will live far from your God-given purpose and barely scratch the surface. Some people are alive but only just surviving from day to day. In Luke 13:11-17, the woman who was bound for 18 years did not die, but she was merely surviving and not living. Also, the man with the unclean spirit in Mark 1:23-26 was continually going to church, and yet he was inhabited by an unclean spirit. It was even in the synagogue that the Lord met him. Although he was living, he was the captive of a demonic spirit. What of Naaman who appeared to be a distinguished and successful man, and yet he had a problem that no man could solve (2 Kings 5:1)? Just like the individuals in all these examples, many people today are barely surviving, and are not living life as purposed by God for them. God not only wants you to live life, He also wants you to enjoy the abundant life that He gives (John 10:10). Are you not tired of “managing”, struggling to survive, and living from hand to mouth? If you are truly tired, the Lord will make a way for you.
God is interested in the overflow of His blessings upon your life. He does not just want you to be healed; he also wants His healing virtue to flow through you to others. He wants you to be free from captivity, and beyond this, He also wants you to set the captives free. God does not want you just to be rich but also to lend to nations. He wants you to be so prosperous that when nations cannot balance their budgets, they will come and pay you a visit. God wants you to bring great joy to your family, community, city and nation. However, no matter how much He wants the overflow for you, He will respect what you want for yourself. He cannot force an overflow of His blessing on you when you want so little of it. There are different levels of greatness, and your choice of the type of life you want for yourself has a role to play in determining how great you become. Let us see the example of Esau. Yes, he sold his birthright, but as a seed of Abraham, he was so blessed from the remnant of blessing pronounced on him that he had 400 bodyguards. How many bodyguards do ministers, senators, state governors or even presidents have today? So you would agree that Esau was not doing badly. However, compared to Jacob his brother, who became a great nation, the difference is definitely clear. Do you want to merely survive, or do you want to be truly blessed with the overflowing portion of God’s blessings? The choice is yours!
PRAYER POINT
Father, I am tired of just managing to survive. I choose the overflow of Your blessings. Please release it to me and my family now.
TUESDAY 19TH December 2017, THEME: STUDENT FOR LIFE!
MEMORISE:
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: Proverbs 1:5
READ: Proverbs 1:1-6
1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
MESSAGE
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5
According to the above scripture, knowledge is good, although not all knowledge is necessary for the children of God. It also states that only a wise fellow will benefit from what he hears. If you are taught something but you fail to act on it, you are at a great disadvantage compared to those who were not exposed to such information at all. Why? Jesus says that on the last day, it is the word of God that will judge us. In other words, any sound teaching from God’s word that you heard but fail to act upon will stand against you on the last day. This means that just as the word of God can liberate a person, that same word can also condemn him or her. May you not be condemned by what you have heard in Jesus’ Name! This is why you need to live your life by every word of God or teaching from the Bible you have received.
From Proverbs 1:5, we also learn that if knowledge is given its rightful position in your life, what you are taught will provoke you to desire more knowledge. In other words, if you are wise, you will always remain a student throughout your life, because one revelation of God’s word will prompt you to search for another in an unending chain. In this regard, believers are expected to be like professionals who need to constantly update their knowledge. Are you always seeking to know more? Do you find time to read good, inspiring books? It is popularly said that leaders are readers. If you fail to read and learn from the experiences and wealth of knowledge of others, you will only be left with the stale information that you have inside you. Therefore, seek knowledge from today! For you to lead in your group, you ought to know what others do not know. According to Ecclesiastics 9:18, winning a war is not only dependent on the nature of the weapons available to you, but more on what you know and your ability to apply what you know to the situation at hand. If there is one area every believer in Christ should work on, it is to know God more. How well are you doing in this area?
KEY POINT:
It is either you are current and open heavens DAILY DEVOTIONAL , or you become stale and abandoned. Its your choice to make!
BIBLE
FRIDAY 15TH december 2017, THEME: GOOD FROM BUBBLE
MEMORISE
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17
READ: John 16:4-7
16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
16:5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
16:6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
MESSAGE
Everybody has a choice to make on the issue of focus in life. Your focus has a way of directing your activities and dictating how well or badly your resources are utilized. It is therefore great wisdom to make Jesus Christ your focus. May the Lord grant you grace to do so in Jesus’ Name. When you walk with God for a while, you will come to realise that He specialises in bringing something good out of something seemingly bad. This is why it is well said that opportunities are wrapped up in unpleasant packages. This truth was demonstrated in the life of Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-15). To Elisha, losing his mentor and master was seemingly a bad thing, but this had to happen for Him to get promoted to the office of the national prophet and become a mentor to others. Similarly, it was seemingly a bad thing when Jesus Christ had to be beaten and His body was torn in shreds. However, this was the price He had to fully pay for us to access healing for all kinds of diseases (1 Peter 2:24). This tells us that not every bad event is truly bad, particularly as it relates to children of the Most High God (Romans 8:28).
*“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”*
John 16:7
After spending just three and a half years with His disciples, the time came for the Lord to leave them. This was an unthinkable scenario for them, and it was most undesirable! The disciples were not ready to let the Master go, not even when they knew that He needed to go to the cross in obedience to God. In fact, Peter was prepared to involve himself in physical combat in his attempt to prevent Jesus from leaving them. However, Jesus needed to depart for the Holy Spirit to come. Some people may have to leave the scene so that you can move from obscurity into limelight. Have you been left out in the cold? Something will happen that will cause a sudden divine remembrance of you this season in Jesus’ Name! King Uzziah had to die for Prophet Isaiah to see more clearly (Isaiah 6:1). The Lord will do something about your matter today! Whether good or bad, things will happen that will favour you in Jesus’ Name. Both good and bad will work in your favour this period! As bad as afflictions appear to be, 2 Corinthians 4:17 says they are actually working great rewards for us. May every seemingly bad event work for your good in Jesus’ Name!
PRAYER POINT
Father, in seemingly bad situations I have been through or that I am going through now, please open my eyes to see the good inherent in them.
WEDNESDAY 13TH december 2017, THEME: ALL SECRETS SHALL BE UNCOVERED
MEMORISE
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Romans 2:16
READ: Luke 12:1-3
12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
MESSAGE
Those who attempted to hide their sins or cover up their errors fail to realize that nothing can be hidden from God, the heavenly saints and even from God’s angels. A child of God who indulges in a hypocritical lifestyle is yet to be broken in spirit. Do you realize that God can expose the secret deeds of anybody He chooses to (Daniel 2:47)? If He has not revealed yours, it is not because you are smart, but because He is still giving you some time of grace to make amends. In the early Church, the secret conspiracy of a couple was revealed by the Holy Spirit, and this led to their death (Acts 5:1-11). No matter how deep that secret deed is buried, it can still be exposed at anytime.
In addition, a day is coming when everyone’s secret deeds will be made public before a staggering crowd of every person that has ever inhabited the earth all through the ages. This will happen at the Great White Throne Judgment, where everyone who ever lived on earth will be divinely summoned, and stand before the Almighty God to face their final judgment and thereafter receive their eternal sentence (Revelation 20:11-15). On that great and terrible day, the past will be harmonized with the present to determine the eternal future of everyone. Before the greatest screen, every life will be reviewed before everyone, and then comes the sentence. The only people who will not be judged at that universal judgment are those who were saved and washed in the Blood of Jesus, and who must have sustained their faith in Christ until they died or were raptured. On that day, these saints will be part of the judges who will sit over the rest of the people from all nations, color, tribe and tongues (1 Corinthians 6:2). On that day, would anyone still have a secret? No wonder Jesus said that there is nothing done in secret that shall not be exposed, and nothing said in private that shall not be broadcast from the mountain top. How prepared are you to face the judgment of God? How long will you continue to live in secret sin? Repent today and live in holiness and prepare for the Lord’s return.
KEY POINT:
Calling yourself a Christian (light) but living in secret sin (darkness) is a hypocritical life. Are you not tired of this?
SUNDAY 10TH December 2017, THEME: INVITATION TO GREATER WORKS.
MEMORISE:
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Luke 10:17
READ: Matthew 14:23-29
14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
MESSAGE
On one of their journeys by sea, the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on water. Astonished to see this wonder, Peter asked the lord Jesus Christ if he could join Him, and the Lord invited him to come. Peter’s fellow disciples watched in amazement as he walked towards Jesus on the water. If only they too had responded to the Lord’s invitation, they would have partaken of this awesome experience, but they were not courageous enough to step out. Nevertheless, that invitation to do the impossible was not limited to them. It is still opento you and me today. In John 14:12, Jesus said,
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Beloved, the call to do the works of Jesus and even perform greater works than He did is a call to do the impossible. To be able to do this, you must be prepared to believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart, leaving no space for doubt. Do you believe in Him? Why then do you still leave room for doubt? Don’t you know that the Lord never fails?
Furthermore, Jesus invites us to follow Him. John 8:12 says,
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
As the Light, if you follow Jesus, you will not walk in darkness, and neither will you stumble. Also, if you follow Him, He will make something great out of your life. He will make you what you never dreamt you could become. Consider a person like Peter: he would have died an unknown fisherman if he had not accepted Christ’s invitation to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-19). Have you accepted that invitation to follow Jesus? Today, some people give various excuses for not following Him. One of such excuses is that they do not want to be disturbed or distracted from their life’s goal or ambition, failing to realize that if only they accepted the Lord’s invitation, they would have had a greater future and they would have enjoyed His backing in all their life’s endeavors. Have you heeded his invitation?
KEY POINT:
The call to follow Jesus is a call to true discipleship. Are you His disciple?
SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER 2017, THEME: STOP THE PRETENCE!
MEMORISE:
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 1Timothy 1:5
READ: 1Timothy 1:5-9
1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
MESSAGE
Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people’s lives. The consequence of processing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretense. To guard against this wile of the devil, the holy spirit in 1 timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus:
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”
While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in a dunghill, you will not go to eat from there. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretense and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to his cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.
Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue to stealing and still lay claim to salvation. While my father-in-the-lord was alive, if you claimed to be saved, he would ask you these questions: “what were you saved from? What were you doing before that you no longer do now?” today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that? In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, “Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophesies are deadly accurate.” “Is that so?” I replied and further added, ‘I am not a prophet but a pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while.” He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was “No”. So I said to him, “Your future will be terrible.” Alarmed, he said, “How do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!” I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says “Woe to the wicked!” on the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on a particular day? If not, do it today!
KEY POINT
The afterlife has no room for pretense. It’s all about reality and truth.
HOW CONCEALED ARE SECRETS? - Friday December 8th 2017
Memorise: “Neither is there any
creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13
Read: Hebrews 4:11-14 (KJV)
Let us labour therefore to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the
word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is
there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked
and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we
have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God, let us hold fast our profession.
Bible in one year: Psalm 119,
Zephaniah 2:1-12, Hymn 6
MESSAGE
The way a child of God relates
with sin is indicative of the level of brokenness he or she has attained. An
unbroken fellow tries to cover up sin. He or she tries to play smart with sin,
particularly when its repercussions are not immediately apparent. In proverbs
28:13, the Holy spirit has this message for such people:
“He that covereth his sins shall
not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
If you fall into sin and the most
important thing to you at that moment is that no one should know what you have
done, it is because you are not broken. In any case, to what extent can you
truly hide sin? For how long can you cover up your evil deeds? Can you hide
your sins from God? Hebrews 4:13 answer
this:
“Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the
eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
Thinking that you can hide away
your sins from God is living is a fool’s Paradise. This can be compared to the
proverbial ostrich which buries his head in the sand to hide from predators, not
realizing that is body is still visible to its enemy and vulnerable to attack.
Not only are your sin never
hidden from God, they are equally not hidden from the saints in Heaven. Hebrews
chapter 11 provides a list of saints that ran this race ahead of us and are now
in Heaven. Hebrews 12:1 calls them a ‘cloud of witnesses’. These brethren know
and can see all we are doing. Someone who was privileged to visit Heaven and
return to earth said that there is a curtain in Heaven that anyone there can
pull and the fellow will be able to monitor the activities of anybody here on
earth. Another brother who also had that same privilege spoke of how saints in
Heaven gather together in a place like a stadium, where they watch earthly
saints facing crucial trials of their faith. When a saint being watched
compromises, they shout in disappointment, just like when your favourite
football team concedes a goal. In contrast, when a person stands for his or her
faith in Christ, they shout with excitement. Be aware that you are being
watched. If only you can imagine the number of eyes monitoring you, you would
be conscious of the fact that nothing you do is hidden!
Key Point:
THURSDAY 7TH December 2017, THEME: ERODING GOD’S HONOUR?
MEMORISE
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Malachi 1:6
READ: Malachi 1:6-8
1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
1:8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
MESSAGE
For your prayer to be a sweet savour before the Almighty God, you must be prepared not only to praise Him but also to honour His Name. You cannot truly claim to belong to God without reverencing or honouring His Name. This is why the Lord posed this crucial question to us in Malachi 1:6:
“A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”
If you look at the two types of relationships referenced in the above Scripture passage, you will agree with me that the lower member of each relationship owes a type of honour to the higher member. A son owes his father a higher degree of honour and respect borne out of love. Also, a servant owes his master some degree of fear, honour and regard, as the master is the source of the servant’s livelihood. As a result of these, a father can demand honour of his son, just as a master can demand honour of his servant. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, many people who claim to be God’s children, prefer to relate with God without giving Him the honour due to His Name. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable to the One to whom all honour is due.
Today, the Lord is asking, “where is my honour?” In other words, there are many honour-thieves in the Christian fold. Are you an honour-thief? If you call on God’s Name without giving it the high regards it deserves, you are an honour-thief. If you fail the materials test, by offering to God a defective gift or a gift that does not befit His status as the King of kings, nor reflect the levels of blessings on your life, you are an honour-thief. If you treat His assignments or handle His work with anything less than the honour due to Him, you are an honour-thief. If your lifestyle makes people look down on your God, you are an honour-thief. If you offer torn currency notes to God, when you know you cannot even use such to pay for things, you are an honour-thief. Do you honour God in all you do?
ACTION POINT:
Carefully come up with 5-10 ways of honouring God. Go ahead and implement them.
Topic: What Do You See? — Wednesday 6, December 2017.
Memorise: I will stand upon my
watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto
me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. – Habakkuk 2:1
Read: Habakkuk 2:1-3 (KJV)
1 I will stand upon my watch, and
set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what
I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and
said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that
readeth it.
3 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.
Bible in One Year: Psalm 108-112,
Habakkuk 3, Hymn: Sing Hymn 7 – O Jesus, I Have Promised
MESSAGE
The power of vision is one very
crucial lesson we can learn from Elisha’s unshakable focus when his master was
about to be taken up to heaven (2 kings 2:1-15). Vision gives direction. What
you see is what you attain, and what you focus on determines what comes to you
in life. You can never rise above your vision. While speaking to Abraham
concerning His promise that Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land of
Canaan, the Lord plainly told him that what he would possess would be
determined by the extent of his vision. Genesis 13:15 says,
“For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy
seed for ever.”
People have often said that what
the mind can conceive can be achieved. What can you see? What can you picture
or envision concerning your future? For your mind to be able to see clearly,
you have to be born again and have a recreated spirit which is capable of
seeing things the way God sees them (Romans 12:2).
In addition, what you focus on is
equally very important. This is because what you focus on expands and fills
your sight. Your focus affects you significantly, shapes your life and
determines what you attract to yourself. The sons of the prophets in all three
locations Elijah visited before his rapture to heaven focused on loss. They
focused on the fact that their national prophet would soon be raptured, and
they would soon be without their leader. Consequently, that was exactly what
they got. On the other hand, Elisha focused on his singular goal of receiving a
double portion of the Spirit of his master, Elijah, and he got it. We have a
way of attracting what we focus on. What or who is your focus? Hebrews 12:1
says we should look unto Jesus. In other words, it says we should make Jesus
Christ our focus. Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the
Spirit of the Lord.”
When we focus on Jesus, we will
begin to change from what we are into what He is. Focusing on Jesus is a major
change medium that will definitely make us what we ought to be. Until you focus
on Him, you will unknowingly be focusing on other things, individuals or even
yourself. What is your focus today?
Action Point: Catalogue what you spend your time doing in a day,
and this will give you a good indication of what your focus really is.
Memorise: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. – Proverb 4:7
Read: Daniel 2:46-49 (KJV)
46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Bible in One Year: Psalm 106-107, Habakkuk 2:2-20, Sing Hymn 1 – My Faith Looks Up To Thee
MESSAGE
The Scriptures declare that wisdom is a major asset we must acquire (Proverb 4:7). To get wisdom, you have to first lay its foundation stones with knowledge. What you know can determine your position in life. It was what Joseph knew, together with the ability to interpret dreams that God used to move him from the prison to the throne (Genesis 41:1-44). In other words, the stop-gap between you and your place of destiny is knowledge. Can you truthfully say that you know enough to get you to your place of destiny? If your answer is in the negative, then start acquiring knowledge today. In many corporate organizations, preference is given to those who have acquired more knowledge than others. This is why there is a tendency to select employees with higher degrees for higher positions in these organizations. So don’t just remain stagnant in knowledge, acquire more of it! Enroll for higher degrees and relevant online or offline training programmes to position yourself for a more successful career ahead of time. What you know can promote you and bring you before kings.
Furthermore, what you know can deliver you from death. No wonder the Lord, in Hosea 4:6a, said:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:”
It was the information Daniel and his colleagues received from God that delivered them and the rest of the wise men of Babylon from death. In other words, what you don’t know can kill you. Ignorance is not just a disease, but a killer – a worse killer than some diseases. Ignorance is a terrible destroyer! Lack of knowledge can lead to a lot of wasteful spending. For example, if a person doesn’t know the importance of maintaining good hygiene, he or she will fall sick often and waste money on treatments that could have been avoided. Do you know that many people are being taken advantage of by the devil because they do not know their rights and privileges in God’s kingdom? They do not know that they have been healed by the stripes of Jesus, and so they continue in sickness. If you fail to know that Jesus has paid the price for you to be rich, you will remain in poverty and even celebrate it like some people do today. What do you know?
Action Point: If you do not yet have a degree and you are less than 60 years, consider enrolling for one.
MONDAY 4TH december 2017, THEME: WORTH CELEBRATING
MEMORISE
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because hour names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20
READ: Luke 10:17-20
10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
MESSAGE:
If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says,
” Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing power of His Blood can save you. Thank God that Jesus fully paid the price of our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption – Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished”. (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?
Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy! After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue. He then told them what the object of their joy should be:
“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your li
fe; it is well worth it.
KEY POINT
If you knew the severity of eternal hell, you would treasure the salvation of your soul and thank God always for it.
TITHING IS TRUSTING - Sunday December 3rd 2017
Memorise: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Read: Proverbs 3:5-7 (KJV)
3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Bible in one year: Psalm 93 – 101, Nahum 3:5-19, Sing Hymn 14
MESSAGE
To experience exploits in your life, you must have a personal relationship with God. You must believe that He lives and love Him with all your heart. You must also learn to trust in Him. The command to pay tithes on your earnings simply places a demand on you to trust in God. Your response to this command shows the level of trust you have in Him. If you can pay your tithe correctly, it shows that you trust God for your livelihood, but if you find it difficult to be faithful in doing this, it simply shows that you trust more in your earnings than in God to sustain you. After I became newly born again and we were taught to pay tithes, I laughed and said in my mind, “These people do not know that I am a mathematician. If 100% is not enough for me, how can 90% be enough after I have paid 10% as tithe? Thank you very much! Even though these people are not educated, they still want to use their smartness to take 10% of my income from me. Let them try and take it” However, down the line, God convinced me by Himself and I observed remarkable changes in my life.
In those days, I was a lecture in the university. I had a car but was afraid to drive in Lagos so I got a driver. At the end of the month, I would pay my driver his salary, but by the middle of the next month, I would have to borrow money from him to buy petrol (gasoline). This happened month after month. I continued to struggle with my finances and even had to spend all my earnings. However, when I started paying my tithes, I suddenly realized I did not need a driver anymore, because boldness came from nowhere and I could now drive myself. Also, I did not have to visit hospitals again because I now had the Great Physician as my doctor. My children did not fall sick again, and that leakage in my finances was blocked off. All of a sudden, doors of opportunities began to open to me because I trusted the Lord. Are you still struggling with tithing? If you are, it only shows that you do not trust God to take care of you. The truth is, whatever you are paid may never be sufficient to meet all your needs because you are limited to that source, whereas you are open to various devourers. In contrast, when you tithe, you will have access to resources beyond your income because God’s storehouse will be opened to you, and He will also block every source of losses in your life. It is a matter of choice. Why don’t you start trusting God from today by paying your tithe faithfully?
Key Point:
It is shocking to know that quite a number of God’s children cannot trust God with their finances.
MEMORISE:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
READ: Matthew 27:3-5
27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Message
One unfortunate thing about backsliding is that backsliders often fall so slowly that they hardly notice their deteriorating state. By the time some of them realise how far they have gone, it is rather too late. Are you a backslider? May the Lord restore you fully to Himself today! According to James 1:14-15, backsliding is a process that progresses from lust to sin, and ultimately ends with death. In Luke 22:3-6, Judas accepted to be paid 30 pieces of silver to betray his Master. He must have thought he was going to make some quick, free money. He probably believed that nobody would be able to capture Jesus. After all, how could anyone apprehend the man who calmed the storms by His word? However, after the plot blew up in his face, he felt so disappointed in himself that he returned the money and committed suicide by hanging himself. The question is, why steal or accumulate what you are not going to spend? Do you know that some people, who are stealing, particularly from God, will not be able to spend their evil loot? Those who steal God’s money to buy a car are only driving a moving coffin which can claim their lives at any time.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
On the straight and narrow way to Heaven, overconfidence has killed a lot of people, preventing them from making it to the very end. A case in point is Samson. His fall from grace, which led eventually to his tragic death, was a gradual process. From violating little instructions not to eat anything from a dead animal as a Nazarite, to unwholesome jesting and riddles that made light of the commandment of God he had broken, to visiting a harlot, and eventually ending his ministry on Delilah’s laps (Judges 14-16, Numbers 6:1-21). Overconfidence has brought many people to the pitiable place where they are now. Always remember that nobody can stand by his or her own power alone, except God helps the fellow. In fact, we are so weak that we need to always rely on God’s strength to live the Christian life. Have you ever thought or even boasted that you cannot fall? You are just like Peter who boasted that he would never deny Christ, but at the end of the day he denied Him thrice (Matthew 26:31-36). Recognize your weakness and engage in regular Bible study, prayers and fasting to draw strength from God. Furthermore, deliberately avoid any appearance of evil that can tempt you, and break any tie that can lure you back into sin. The Lord will keep you from falling, and He will restore you if you are already down.
ACTION POINT:
Pray that God will keep genuine Christian leaders across the globe from falling.
FRIDAY 1ST December, 2017: HOLD THE FORT
MEMORISE:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
READ:
Luke 9:61-62
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 81-88 & Nahum 1
MESSAGE:
When you walk with God, not only must you be obedient, your obedience must also be complete. From the story of how Elisha stuck with Elijah till the latter was taken up to heaven, we learn that until you obey to the very end, certain blessings may not be received, and certain promises may not be fulfilled by God (2 Kings 2:1-15). This is a very serious issue as it calls for endurance. Would Elijah have been raptured if he had refused to go on to Jordan, after obeying God’s instructions to go to Bethel and Jericho, and after several years of obedience to God in ministry? I very much doubt it. Similarly, if Elisha had not served and followed Elijah till the very end, would he have received a double portion of the Spirit on his master? I don’t think so.
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22
Beloved, to get very special blessings or reward from God, you must be ready to serve Him till you take your very last breath. You must pay your tithes, obey Him, win souls, worship Him, and follow peace with all men until your very last second on earth. Heaven is not for those who run the marathon for years and give up just a little before the finish line; rather, it is for those who endure all things to the very end.
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
In God’s Kingdom, there is no room for half measures. It is either you are following Him to the end or you are not following Him at all. If you have decided to serve Him, please don’t stop to look back! Looking back can disqualify you, rendering you unfit for God’s kingdom. Today, it is rare to get a committed worker or minister like Elisha, who would be doggedly determined to reach his goal without being discouraged, distracted or disillusioned. Have you turned aside from God’s calling on your life? Are you busy making excuses as to why you cannot obey God, saying “after all, God understands”? Sorry, God does not understand you are going back on your commitments. He does not understand compromise. If you are in such a state, come out fast and hold the fort to the very end!
KEY POINT:
You cannot afford to stop your race to heaven now, because you have put in so much to get to where you are today.
May God grant us grace to hold fort to the very end
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