A NEW BEGINNING OF HEALTHY LIVING

WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL 2015

A NEW BEGINNING OF HEALTHY LIVING 

Memorise:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

Read : John 5:2-9

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HABAKKUK 1:1-3:19 and MATTHEW 12:33-50

Message:

It is God's desire for the body of Christ to be strong physically. Believers are members of the body of Christ, and if any part of the body is diseased, the head will not be at ease. Jesus is our Head. He is not happy whenever we suffer in any part of our body. He has released the gift of healing so that we will be alright and happy always, because our happiness makes Him Happy. Joy comes with healthy living; there is no happiness in ill-health. This is why I know that anything in your body contrary to healthy living is destroyed now In Jesus' Name.

In Mathew 8:1-3, a leper came to Jesus and was healed when He touched him. According to John 9:1-7, after a man born blind met with Jesus, Jesus anointed his eyes with mud made from soil and spittle and told him to go and wash. Immediately, a new beginning of healthy living became his portion. In the Name that is above every other name, everything dead in you will come alive, and whatever causes you sorrow is reversed now in Jesus' Name. 

I tell people to always look forward to partaking in the Holy Communion, because it is usually an opportunity to make contact with the body of Jesus Christ. As you look forward to the next communion table, whatever curses are warring against your body and terminal ailment hindering your joy will be completely taken care of in Jesus' Name. Whether it is a health problem affecting your body, a problem which the doctor has said will lead to death or long- standing problems that drains your finances, it is completely reversed now In Jesus' Name. If you want to experience a new beginning of healthy living, you must remember healing is food for God's children and not for dogs ( Matthew 15:25-28 ). When your relationship with heaven put you into the category of 'children', healthy living and victory will come your way. Healing comes by faith. Except a sick person has faith that Jesus can heal, he or she will not experience a healthy lifestyle. Mark 5:35-42 demonstrates to us the place of faith in action. Jesus took the daughter of Jairus by hand and she was raised from the dead, all because her father did not lose faith in the face of a negative report. The assurance we have as the body of Christ is that the perfect will of God for us is to experience healthy living. Have faith in God that your case is not impossible with Him. He is so concerned about you that He will perform special miracles in your life if need be.

Action Point:

Utilise the opportunity of the next Communion table to tap into God's healing power.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

PROMPT OBEDIENC

TUESDAY 31st MARCH 2015

PROMPT OBEDIENCE

Memorise:

And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. Mathew 8:21-22

Read : 1 Sameuel 15:22-23

22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NAHUM 1-3 and MATHEW 12:9-32

Message:

In the service of God, sacrifice is good. God expects all His children to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. He also expects our sacrifice to be holy and acceptable ( Romans 12:1 ). However. He makes it clear that He prefers obedience to sacrifice. Jeremiah 7:23 says,

'But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you'.

Obedience is the act of doing what one was to do. In spiritual sense, obedience is total submission to the written and spoken word of God. It is an express but conditional commandment of God. In Exodus 19:5, God instructed the Isrealites to obey His voice:

'Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:'

One distinguishing characteristic of those who are great in the things of God is prompt obedience. The bible contains so many stories of men and women who became great for God as a result of their obedience to His word. A classical example of a person whose lifestyle was defined by prompt obedience was Abraham. Other heroes of obedience include Joseph, Joshua, Ruth, David, Elijah,Elisha and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Obedience entails learning ( Hebrew 5:8 ). It involves God taking you to His own school of Theology, here you a stripped of all knowledge and pomposity in order to obey God in simple holiness and truth. Obedience requires sincerity, genuiness and love. True obedience comes from a heart of love. It is real and not mere eye service. Obedience requires boldness. It takes boldness for a child of God to obey Him in this world of perversion and outright corruption. It takes moral courage to live holy and move against the tide of sin. Don't be a moral coward. Be bold enough to say 'no' to all acts of unrighteousness. Speak out against sin anywhere you find yourself. A true Christian is one who is neither ashamed of the gospel nor a shame to the gospel. You can overcome the fear of man through reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. Obedience requires humility. It takes a grace of God to obey God all the way to the end. Are you facing persecution because of your obedience to Christ? Don't give up! Don't compromise your stand. Don't allow yourself to be distracted from the path of obedience. Obedience must not be done haphazardly. Disobedience is rebellion, which is likened to witchcraft ( 1 Samuel 15:23 ).

Action Point:

Obey God, obey those who share the truth with you, obey your leader and obey your body when it needs rest.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

MONDAY 30th MARCH 2015

GREAT EXPECTATIONS 

Memorise:

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1st Corinthians 2:9

Read: John 4:24-34

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MICAH 5-7 and MATHEW 11:20-12:8

Message:

The scripture reading of today shows us a marked difference between the priorities of our Lord Jesus Christ and that of His disciples at a point in time. Many of us, like the disciples, are often engrossed with how to meet our physical, psychological and emotional needs. We are immersed in things which are ephemeral in nature. These include what to eat, what to drink, where to live, how to be clothed, how to take care of our immediate and distant families, how to stay health, how to be wealthy and how to be famous. Jesus assured His disciples that the Father knew their needs and would provide for them (Matthew 6:31-32). Moreover, He stressed what should be the topmost priority of all heaven-bound Christians. Matthew 6:33 says,

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Passion for the things of God should be your topmost priority! It is often said that passionate people make the greatest contributions to society. Be passionate about the things of God. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the necessities of daily life will be provided. Stop chasing shadows. Stop putting the cart before the horse. It is time to correctly priorities your life and passions.

God is called the God of glory in Acts 7:2. There are therefore great expectations for those who serve the God of glory in holiness and truth. There is a blessing of divine favour for all who consecrate themselves to serving God in spirit and truth. It should be noted that a day of divine favour is better than many years of labour. The blessing of divine favour is superior to what people ordinarily enjoy. I pray that you will enjoy the blessing of divine favour with effect from today in Jesus’ Name. Those who consecrate themselves to serving God in spirit and truth also receive divine prosperity (Psalm 1:1-3). God is the only one who blesses without adding sorrows to it. Are you experiencing sorrow in any area of your life? I pray that God will turn that sorrow to joy in Jesus’ Name. There is fruitfulness for all who consecrate themselves to serving God in spirit and truth (Psalm 92:12-14). They also have an assurance of victory have an assurance of victory over all known and unknown enemies (Psalm 132:18). God will reveal the secret of all your enemies to you. He will stand by you and fight all your battles for you. He will render your enemies irreverent and grant you victory over them. Finally, there is the assurance of making heaven at last for all who consecrate themselves to serving God in spirit and truth. What is the state of your consecration and love for God?

Prayer Point:

Father, grant me the grace to consecrate myself to serving you in spirit and truth.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

EMMANUEL

SUNDAY 29th MARCH 2015

EMMANUEL 

Memorise:

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; in those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. Zechariah 8:23

Read: Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : MICAH 1-4 and MATHEW 10:40-11:19

Message

One reason why the Holy Spirit caused the Gospel of Matthew to be written is to show that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah. One of such prophesies is found in Isaiah 7:14 which says,

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This prophecy was shown to be fulfilled by Jesus in our Bible reading today. One of the key points of this prophecy is that Jesus will be referred to as Emmanuel. The name Emmanuel means “God with us”. There is nothing as good as when God is with a person. God is the eternal, independent, self- existing Being. He is the Being whose purpose and actions spring from Himself without any external influence. God is absolute in dominion and infinitely benevolent. He alone is the cause of all existence and the upholder of all things. Numerous benefits accrue from the presence of God. One advantage of having God with you is that no force, known or unknown can successfully detract you from fulfilling destiny (Romans 8:31-32)

For you to fully key into the revelation of “God with us”, you need to understand who God is. God revealed who He is in discrete parts through His redemptive Names to the saints of old. He said to Moses in Exodus 6:3:

“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

An understanding of His redemptive Names gives us insight into His personality and allows us to profit from the consciousness that this personality is with us.

God is the Elshaddai: He is the All-Sufficient One. This means that He has enough resources to meet all your needs – be it spiritual, physical, emotional or psychological. Also, God is Jehovah Jireh: the Great Provider. He has the ability to turn your austerity to prosperity and poverty to wealth (Philippians 4:19). Another Name for God is Jehovah Rapha: the Healer. Are you sick? He has the ability to cure you of all ailments – be it pathological, soul sickness or spiritual sickness. God is also Jehovah Nissi: He is the Man of War. Are you facing any battle? The Almighty God has the ability to fight all of your battles for you and to grant you total victory. Are the enemies of your life mammoth? Turn to Jehovah Nissi today. Let Him be your Emmanuel. I prophesy that you will experience victory in all the battles of your life in Jesus' Name.

Action Point:

Consciously carry the presence of God along with you wherever you go.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

IMPULSIVE PRAISE

SATURDAY 28th MARCH 2015

IMPULSIVE PRAISE

Memorise:

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:46-47

Read: Acts 3:6-9

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : OBADIAH 1, JONAH 4 and MATTHEW 10:16-39

Message:

Praise can be described as a spontaneous outburst of thanksgiving by a grateful child of God in God’s presence. When a person knows God and experiences Him intimately, he or she sings to the Lord with deepest praise! Our God is praiseworthy. He dwells in the praises of His children. Christ came so that men would be able to praise God in holiness and truth. The woks of Jesus caused men to rejoice and praise God. Luke 19:37 reports that: “And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all mighty works that they had seen;”

God created us to praise Him. This will be our activity when we are gathered around His throne in Heaven. No true child of God should have difficulty thinking of reasons why God deserves his or her praise. We should enjoy the times we have to praise our Lord, both privately and publicly. If your life is not filled with praise, it may be that you have lost your appreciation of God’s mercy upon you. Please, don’t forget what God has saved you from. Never take for granted what it means to have the assurance of eternity with God. Your lifestyle should praise God in holiness and good works. Jesus in Matthew 5:16 said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Moreover, don’t disregard the spiritual kinship you enjoy with other believers. Take time to recount the blessings God has poured out upon you and your family in the midst of God’s people. Jesus in Hebrew 2:12 declared thus: “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

As you contemplate the boundless love and mercy God has shown you, you will want to sing praises to His holy Name. Impulsive praises is spontaneous. It is involuntary and not pre-meditated. Here you can sing praises to God or mention His redemptive Names. Here you praise God because you are overwhelmed by His greatness, loving-kindness and goodness to you. Impulsive praise is credible praise. It does not have to be manipulated or orchestrated. It is a real and personal expression of a grateful heart and wonder-filled life that has encountered the Holy God. This is what God expects from you.

Key Point:

Sincere praise is the spontaneous response of one who meditates on the greatness and goodness of Lord.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE MARKS OF THE LORD JESUS

FRIDAY 27th MARCH 2015

THE MARKS OF THE LORD JESUS

Memorise:

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Galatians 6:17

READ: 1TIMOTHY 6:11-14, 

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession

14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: AMOS 7:9 and MATHEW 9:27-10:15

Message:

A mark can be described as an impression, a distinguishing trait or quality. Marks indicate characteristics or symbols used for identification or indication of ownership. All heaven-bound Christians are children of God and by implication, belong to Christ (Mark 9:41, Romans 8:16). What are the marks of the Lord Jesus?

One distinguishing trait or quality that indicates one’s ownership by the Lord Jesus is faithfulness. Everyone belonging to Christ is expected to be faithful in prayer, in tithes and offerings, in studying the word of God, in their marital relationship, general human relations and in service to God. Are you a child of God? Be faithful to God, yourself and others. Your faithfulness allows God to reveal greater insights to you. Faithfulness brings opportunities to you that are not given to the unfaithful. God takes pleasure in answering prayers that come from a faithful heart. Another mark of the Lord Jesus is obedience to the will of God. Christ came to fulfil God’s perfect will for His life. Hebrews 10:7 says,

“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

Are you living according to God’s perfect will for your life? Anything that brings shame or reproach to the Name of God is not God’s will for you. Are you involved in a business deal where it is required that you tell lies, engage in immorality and cut corners? That business venture should be reviewed. It is probably not God’s perfect will for your life. As a spouse, are you obedient to the will of God in your marriage through fidelity, submission and love?

Affiliated to obedience is love. Love is another mark of the Lord Jesus. John 13:1 says,

“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

God is love. The love of God is what indicates that you belong to Christ. You should be able to demonstrate true love ot God and man. Love is a benevolent disposition of the mind towards fellow-Christians, growing out of sincere and fervent devotion to God. Indicators of love include kindness, selflessness, humility, self-discipline and purity. Love can endure evil, injury and provocation without being filled with resentment, indignation or revenge. Love is benevolent, bountiful, courteous, and obliging. Love suppresses envy: it is not grieved by the good of others. Finally, love controls and restrains passions. Do you bear in you the marks of the Lord Jesus?  

Prayer point:

Father, I submit myself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; let His marks be seen in my life.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

ENJOYING LONGEVITY

THURSDAY 26th MARCH 2015

ENJOYING LONGEVITY 

Memorise:

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Read:1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : AMOS 4:6-6:14 and MATHEW 9:9-26

Message:

Every rational being wishes to be healthy, wealthy, fulfilled and enjoy longevity. The desire to live long and be healthy is scriptural. Psalm 91:16 says,  'With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.'

Man is a tripartite being. The Bible teaches that man consists of the spirit,soul and body. God is interested in our good health ( 3 John 1:2). He desires for us to be sound and complete in our spirit, soul and body. The working of wholeness in man starts in his spirit. It begins when God touches our spirit by the Holy Ghost ( 1 Corinthians 12:3 ). Has your spirit been touched by the Holy Spirit? The first miracle God does is to liberate man's spirit from sin. He justifies us from sin and reconnects our spirit man to Himself ( 1 Corinthians 6:11 ). He then continually bears witness with our spirit that we are God's Children ( Romans 8:16). After releasing our spirit from sin, the Holy Spirit works His way to our soul to heal and restore it. The soul of man is the seat of his emotions, intellect and will. The soul is the dwelling place of healthy and unhealthy emotions. It is thus possible for the soul to be healthy or sick.

The human body is that part of man which is aware of and interacts with the tangible, empirical world. The whole body of man is built around a bony framework of skeleton and consists of great number of different parts. The human body consist primarily of cells, which together form tissues, which form organs, which work together as systems to carry out specific functions. It is worth noting that healthy living guarantees longevity. To enjoy longevity, you need to eat proper balanced diets. Experts in nutrition teach that our foods can be classified into two classes. One class consists of fruits and vegetables. The other class consists of fat, starch and proteins. A proper balance of these two classes of food will provide good health and a long life. An improper balance will bring poor health, sickness and can result in early death. Fruit and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals. Proteins supply building blocks for the body. Fats and starch supply heat and energy to the body. According to many health books, we should eat 75% fruits and vegetables, while 25% should be protein, fats and starch . This 75:25 ratio should form the basis of the daily diet of every living person. To obtain and maintain good health, you must eat foods that contains generous amounts of vitamins and minerals. Food low in vitamins and minerals lead to poor health, ailments, suffering and death. Enjoying longevity in good health is however not limited to the food you eat . Your state of mind and pattern of life can either accelerate or slow down the aging process. These also affect your good health. In addition, learn to exercise your body. Don't forget: ' bodily exercise profiteth little.'

Action Point:

Take stock of how you are treating your body. Adjust your nutrition and lifestyle if necessary.

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

RENEWING THE MIND

WEDNESDAY 25th MARCH 2015

RENEWING THE MIND

Memorise:

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

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-14

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : AMOS 1:1-4:5 and MATHEW 8:18-9:8

Message

One striking thing about holiness is that it is what makes God who He is. If a human being was asked this question: ' Who is God?', you might get the answers like: God is love, God is powerful, God is merciful, God is faithful etc. But if Angels or celestial beings were asked the same question, they would chorus: God is Holy! The theme of the songs of celestial beings in Heaven is the holiness of God ( Isaiah 6:2-3, Revelation 4:8 ). Do you belong to God? Then be prepared to live holy. Why? God's people are a holy temple of Him ( 1 Corinthians 3:17 ). We are called to a holy priesthood ( 1 Peter 2:5 ), and we are described as holy brethren ( Hebrew 3:1). The father chose His own, so that they might be holy ( Ephesians 1:4). This is the reason why Jesus died for us ( Ephesians 5:25-27). The Holy Spirit was given, so that through the renewing of minds, we might be holy ( Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit renews our mind by convincing us and making us accept what God's Word says about us or about a subject-matter. This is critical because your mind controls your actions. The Word of God is spiritual; only the Holy Spirit can bring the mind to a state of conformity with its contents ( 1 Corinthians 2:14)

Holiness simply means obeying God totally and consecrating yourself to His will from the heart. It is difficult to do God's will without knowing His mind. The Bible, which is the word of God, is a compendium of God's will. It is easy to know the mind of God and renew your own mind when you meditate on the Word of God. This meditation should however be a daily affairs. It is imperative for every child of God to study and meditate on God's word. Merely reading the word of God is different from studying and serious meditation. Studying is an application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge. It entails a careful examination or analysis of the Bible - its promises, commandments, warnings, blessings, questions and answers. Meditation on God's word denotes focusing one's thought on it, reflecting on and pondering over it. In Joshua 1:8, Joshua was instructed to meditate on the word of God day and night because constant meditation leads to good success. This happens progressively. First, meditate on God's word on daily basis. Second, be observant enough to obey it unconditional. Doing this will assure you of hood success; i e. full- blown success that is holistic, covering every imaginable area of life ( spirit, soul and body ). Renewing your mind makes it possible to discern what the perfect will of God is ( Romans 12:2). Do you desire to know the perfect will of God for every aspect of your life? Renew your mind through constant studying and mediation on the word of God. Keep God's word in your heart, allow it to permeate your entire being through the Holy Spirit and act on it.

Prayer Point:

Dear Holy Spirit , as I ponder on God's word, help my mind to accept the truth of what it says. 

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

ATTITUDES TO WORSHIP

TUESDAY 24th MARCH 2015

ATTITUDES TO WORSHIP 

Memorise:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24

READ: ISAIAH 40:12-22

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOEL 1-3 and MATHEW 7:24-8:17

Message:

Prayer involves much more than asking God for our heart desires. It also involves praise and worship, both of which are very much related. While praise acknowledges God for what He has done, worship acknowledges God for who He is. We need to understand that God expects all creatures to worship Him ( Revelation 5:13). No matter what or who they are, as far as they exist, God expects them to worship Him.

Pretty much everybody in existence has received something from God ( Acts 17:28). However, only those who acknowledge what they have received as coming from God can be deemed worshippers. Among this group of people, there are those who feel contented with what they have received from God. If you are in this category, praise and worship God. On the other hand, there are those who feel they have not received enough from God . These are people who feel God has done much but not enough for them. Such people believe they need more blessings from the Lord, and some even feel that God has not done enough to warrant their praises. It's among this category of people you will find those who compare their wealth and other tangible achievements with that of those they think are more privileged than themselves. More often than not, people who engage in such comparisons conclude that God has not been fair to them. No matter how little you think the goodness of the Lord is in your life, it is imperative that you praise and worship Him. 

Many people feel as though God has done nothing for them. In their opinion, God is not good at all. This kind of feeling is wrong and dangerous. If the devil is ministering to you that God is not good at all, resist the devil and worship God for who He is. It is easy to fall into this state when you are afflicted. Examples of those afflicted are bereaved,the sorrowful, the disappointed and the discouraged. We should worship God even when afflicted. A classical example of someone who did this is Job. Job was a man who worshipped God in prosperity ( Job 1:5 ) and he also worshipped God in the midst of satanic afflictions. Job 1:20-21 says : 

'Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'

Note that Job still worshipped God at the end of his trials ( Job 42:1-5 ). Worship characterises vessels unto honour. Are you a vessels unto honour? If your answer is yes, go ahead and worship God, whatever your situation might be. 

Prayer Points:

Father, grant me the grace to worship you, no matter what I am going through. 

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE