HOLD THE FORT!

THURSDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2015

THEME: HOLD THE FORT!

Memorise:

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Philippians 2:16

Read: Philippians 2:12-16,

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

MESSAGE

Without controversy, the salvation that Jesus Christ has brought to mankind is free and for anyone who will receive Him. The way to receive this salvation is revealed to us in Romans 10:9:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Have you confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord? Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? Have you asked that your sins might be washed away by His blood? If you have done these, congratulations, you have received the free gift of salvation. However, you need to know that the salvation you have received is the beginning of a process that will culminate in your living eternally with God in Heaven, with a transformed body which death and sin have no power over (1st Corinthians 15:50-56). This is the same type of body our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected with and has right now in glory (1st John 3:2). It is at the event where this transformation will take place, referred to as the rapture, that the ultimate experience of the salvation in Christ Jesus will be revealed and received by you. Apostle Paul speaks of this in Hebrews 9:28, while Apostle Peter further expounds on it in 1st Peter 1:5:

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

While awaiting the revelation of the ultimate experience of salvation, the devil, the world and the flesh will work to derail the salvation experience you have received by trying to lead you back to sins you have been saved from. That is why Jesus in Matthew 24:13 says:

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

You therefore need to endure and not give in to them. You need to continue living in the reality of the salvation from sin which you have received by enforcing your victory over sin. If you return to your former sins, you will not partake of the ultimate salvation experience which shall be revealed and received at the appearing of Christ. Enforcing your victory over sin everyday involves a lot of work. It involves the use of God’s word against temptations, the renewing of your mind, praying for grace and fasting to keep the cravings of your body under check. Apostle Paul refers to this work in Philippians 2:12. The Lord will sustain you as you work at it to the end in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, grant me grace to keep at the work required to sustain my salvation in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 23:9-25:7 and 1 CORINTHIANS 14:6-25

AUTHOR: Pst. E. A. ADEBOYE

WAY OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT

WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2015

WAY OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT

 

Memorise:

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

 

Read: John 2:1-11

1  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2  And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3  And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5  His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

6  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7  Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8  And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse:  but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

11  This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

 

 

Message

Jesus Christ declared to His disciples that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). As the Way, He is the exit from that very evil location you may find yourself. He is the Way out of sickness and also the Way out of death. If you are facing any situation pertaining to death, He is the Way out. In Acts 9:36-42, Dorcas died and the widows mourned her because of her good works which had been a blessing to them. She was the visible hand of God that the widows could relate with. So when Peter arrived, they began to make a case for her to live. Do you know that when some believers die, almost everyone who knew them would prefer that they were left dead, because they made no meaningful impact? If you were called home to be with the Lord today, how many people would want you to be restored to life? Can your works speak for you like those of Dorcas? When Peter heard of her works, he commanded Dorcas to come back to life in the Name of Jesus. She lived to continue her ministry to the widows. You too can command the dead to rise in the Name of Jesus and life shall be restored back to them, if only you have faith in Jesus and you are a part of Him.

 

Moreover, Jesus is the Way out of embarrassment. In today's Bible reading, while a wedding celebration was going on in Cana of Galilee, the wine finished. How embarrassing! It was possible the guests they had were far more than what they had prepared for. Some of their guests who had not been served were seated and expecting to be served. If they were to arrange for more wine, it would have cost them a lot in time, money and logistics. While they bothered about what to do and confusion was beginning to set in, Mary got wind of what was going on and informed Jesus about it. Pre-empting Him, she instructed the servants at that feast to wait on the Lord. At the nick of time, the Lord turned the water available into the wine they lacked. Everyone who took of that wine confessed that they had never taken a better wine in all their lives. The Lord not only saved the day, but also turned an embarrassing situation into a most special moment for all and sundry. Imagine the joy of the couple and that of their families! Are you facing any form of embarrassment? Take it to the Lord in prayer and have faith in His ability to intervene, and He will make a way for you.

 

Action Point:

Intercede for every believer facing an embarrassing situation around you, that they will receive God's way out now.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LEVITICUS 

21:1-23:8 and 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-14:5

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE

ONLY HIS NAME

TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2015

ONLY HIS NAME

 

Memorise:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Philippians 2:10

 

Read: Philippians 2:9-11

9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Message

The desire and plan of God is for all His children to be deliverance ministers (Mark 16:17). He wants us to exercise His dominion on earth, so that if demons are obstructing the lives, destinies and progress of anybody, when they meet anyone of us, they would be freed. However, only very few believers are actively doing this. Any believer who wants to walk in the reality of the plan of God concerning casting out demons must have the knowledge of some basic truths. First and foremost, they must have an intimate knowledge of the Great Deliverer - the Lord Jesus Christ. The closer you move to Jesus and know Him, the more grace you will derive from Him to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, and more. (Daniel 11:32).

 

What are the things you need to know about Jesus? You need to know the power in His Name. Our Bible reading teaches that Jesus Christ has a Name to which everything and everyone must bow. Some ministers have fallen into error because they have gained so much popularity and have tasted the anointing of the Holy Ghost. Because they have been used of God several times to perform miracles, they are now close to casting out devils in their own names! We are told to command demons to go in the Name of Jesus and not by any other name. If you ever use your name, you will get into trouble with God and with demons. If you are now using your name to cast out demons, you are becoming another Jesus and preaching another gospel. Know that this act carries a curse (Galatians 1:9). Even Paul, with all his anointing and experiences of the supernatural, continued to cast out demons in the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:16-18). A man attended a program one day and instead of being delivered, his problem was compounded.

He was loaded with demons, so much so that he could not stand, sit or walk: he just lay down. When he was brought to us, I commanded him to kneel for prayers, but he said he could not. I commanded him again, and he asked me, "In whose name?" I said "In the Name of Jesus." He answered, "Oh, that one is different", and he complied. After prayers, I said to him "Stand up and go home." But he replied that he could not stand. So I commanded him again to obey. He then asked "In whose name?" I replied "In the Name of Jesus." He said again, "That one is different", and he stood up. Then I commanded him to go home, take his bath and be normal again. Once again he asked "In whose name?" I said "In the Name of Jesus." He answered once more "That one is different", and he obeyed. Praise God for the power in the Name of Jesus!

 

Key Point:

Some ministers are gradually moving the shine away from Jesus to themselves, thereby treading on very dangerous grounds. Be warned!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 

19:19-20:27 and 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

RUN, DON'T REST

MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2015

RUN,  DON'T REST

 

Memorise:

For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Hebrews 13:14

 

Read: 1 Kings 13:7-14

7  And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

8  And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9  For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10  So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

11  Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12  And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13  And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14  And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

 

Message

In today's Bible reading, we have a very sad story of a young prophet sent by God to the city of Bethel with strict instructions. After he delivered the message, he took a different route homewards as instructed by God. But along the way, he felt danger had passed and so he decided to take a rest. While taking his rest, an old prophet came by, lied to him and convinced him to return with him. He obeyed this old prophet and eventually met his death. If only he had delayed his rest, the false prophet would have come looking for him without finding him. Just as it happened to this young prophet, resting too soon has terminated the Christian race of so many believers. In some races, we sometimes see a contestant that is running so fast, leaving other contestants far behind. For the contestant ahead, there is always the temptation to relax, reduce speed and to take the rest of the journey easy, due to a false sense of having won the race already. Many a contestant has yielded to such temptations and got the shock of a lifetime. You will do yourself a lot of good to know that on earth, while on our way to Heaven, we have no resting place. For this reason, Hebrews 4:9 says: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."

 

What the devil or your flesh is suggesting to you as a rest is actually meant to activate your spiritual death warrant. Our rest in Heaven is eternal, and this is partly to compensate us for the no-rest race we have to run on earth. If you want rest, wait until you get to Heaven.

 

Sometime ago, I visited Australia. While there, a brother shared a testimony that made me weep inside. This old man testified that some time ago, a particular man of God who was highly anointed came to Australia. People brought their dead and they were raised back to life. Within one week, there were ambulances bringing in dead people to the crusade. I could recall this particular man of God. He started very well and was mightily used of God, but along the line, he began to bring in some strange doctrines. He said all that was needed now was only faith; there was no more need for fasting, holiness, etc. He did not end up very well. Beloved, since you have started the race, focus on it and continue to run. Receive all the grace that you can muster from the Lord and continue running the race. Refuse any proposal to slow down or rest, as this is meant to terminate your race.

 

Prayer Point:

Father, let me never encounter the rest that would terminate my race to Heaven, in Jesus' Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 17:10-19:18 and 1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-12:11

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

FROM DEBTOR TO CREDITOR

SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2015

FROM DEBTOR TO CREDITOR

 

Memorise:

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. Psalm 72:12

 

Read: Psalm 72:10-14

10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

11  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

 

Message

When Jesus went into a synagogue one day, He met a man with a withered hand. When a hand is withered, it means it has died and totally dried up. In spite of the withered state of this hand, that encounter with Jesus restored life to it (Mark 3:1-5). There are some people whose future has withered financially. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you will soon become a creditor to many. Our God is a very practical God. I am speaking from experience. Beyond reading about Him, I have seen Him in action so many times that I can confidently say my God can reverse the irreversible.

 

Let us consider the experience of one of my daughters. She lost her husband and had 17 mouths to feed in addition to a huge debt; the biggest of which was in London. During one of our Conventions, the Lord said there was someone there who was heavily indebted, and that He was going to give that person three financial breakthroughs: the first one was for God, the second was to be split 50-50 between God and that person, while the third would settle the persons problems permanently. On hearing this word, she received it. Within one week, she came with some big money she got, saying this was the first one. I argued with her and tried to refuse taking it, but she insisted. Eventually, we took the money but did not spend it. Not long after, the second one came and she brought 50% to God. It was easier for me to receive this than the first. Then came the third one: a bank in London that she owed so much wrote to say that they had checked their records and found out that she did not owe them, instead they were the ones owing her.

 

Could they really have made a mistake? The most likely thing that occurred was that God went into the records and changed her status from debtor to creditor. Are you in debt? If you can call on the Lord in faith and secure His intervention, He can go into the books and turn the records in your favour. Yes! It is possible for you to move from debtor to creditor! All records are in God's hands, because He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the First and Last of all alphabets, so He can cause every writing to work in your favour. Every negative thing written about you shall fail as the Alpha and Omega takes charge over them. These are His words to you in Colossians 2:14:

 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

You shall experience the reality of this Word in your finances in Jesus' Name.

 

Prayer Point:

Father, wipe out my debts and turn around my financial situation in Jesus' Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 16:1-17:9 and 1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-11:16

AUTHOR: Pst. E. A. ADEBOYE

CHILDREN ARE YOUR TOMORROW

Saturday September 26

CHILDREN ARE YOUR TOMORROW 

 

Memorise:

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

 

Read: Genesis 18:17-19

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

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

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

 

Message

The greatness of a person can be influenced by a father-figure - whether biological or spiritual. No wonder the Bible in Proverbs 17:6 says:

“Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.”

A child is expected to be a better version of his or her parents. Your child is supposed to be a new, improved you. Your child is your future, hence, losing your child amounts to losing your future, while gaining your child is gaining your future. You can lose your child not necessarily to death but to sin. An unsaved or backslidden child erodes the future of his parents. This is why you must invest in your children. They are your tomorrow. I cannot understand why a parent will be competing with his or her child. How can a father say that he does not want any of his children to surpass him? If your children cannot surpass you, then you have failed. That is why Jesus in John 14:12 says:

“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.”

You must do everything legitimately possible to prepare your children to have a better tomorrow.

 

Some parents do not mind playing ”Father Christmas” with other people’s children, but they remain stingy and tight fisted with their own children. A man who was trained by his parents or relatives to secondary school level who now refuses to train his own children to at least that same level is a curse to his family. Some parents do not mind spending money to buy expensive clothes for weddings, funerals and other frivolous things, but when it comes to paying the school fees of their children, they will say they have no money. What are your priorities in life? Did your children beg you to bring them to this world? Why would you neglect them after bringing them to earth? Do you know that there are very many unbelievers who never had the opportunity of going to school, particularly women, who resolved in their heart to see that their children would be educated, and God made a way for them? Today, they have made graduates out of petty trading. How can it be said of you - a believer, created in the image of God and blessed with children of destiny, that you denied your children quality education? Far be it from you! Ensure you prepare your children for a better future. You cannot afford to disappoint God in this area!

 

Key Point:

The greatest legacy you can give your children is first Jesus, followed by a good education up to university level. Others are extras.

BEWARE OF MANIPULATORS

FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2015

BEWARE OF MANIPULATORS

 

Memorise:

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Proverbs 22:3

 

Read: Proverbs 22:1-5

1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2  The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

3  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

5  Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

 

 

Message

When you are popular and celebrated on account of your position or service in the kingdom of God, beware and avoid every temptation to use what you have received against the will of God. If you are not careful, you may fall into a trap and become another example, like the 250 princes who were destroyed in Numbers 16. That shall not be your portion in Jesus' Name! However, you need to know that if you are in a position of power or you are very famous and highly respected by people, you will be a target of manipulators.

If you are not extremely careful, you will fall into traps you never thought could ensnare you. After Korah, Dathan and Abiram orchestrated an evil plan and they wanted the children of Israel to buy into it, who did they contact? They deliberately chose the most popular 250 princes in the assembly of God's people and carefully sold the idea to them (Numbers 16:2). Once that was done, convincing the people under these princes was a walk in the park.

 

Believe it or not, just as these princes were tempted, you too will be tempted. People who have goods and services for sale will come to you because they want to reach your members or those under your sphere of influence. Some of these may be beneficial to your people and some may not. Some people may even ask you to come and support a cause that is contrary to scriptures. Be very careful! Be watchful and prayerful. When they come to make such proposals, place them side-by-side with the word. Any proposition that violates the word of God must be rejected without fear or favour. Those borderline issues which are not out-rightly wrong or sinful should be presented to God, asking for His direction.

 

Never allow yourself to be used by manipulators! If you lead the people under you astray, not only will their blood be upon your head, you may lose your integrity, position, power and honour. Also, carefully watch out for sycophants who will sing your praise so high that you will not know when they begin to lead you astray. Sycophants are "loyal" to you for very wrong reasons - reasons they may never tell you. They will always want you to see what they do, because they do their service to impress the leader and not God. Ask God to weed off from you anyone who appears close to you but wants to mislead you.

 

Action Point:

Pray that God will weed off sycophants and those with a wrong motive hanging around leaders in the Body of Christ, your family, place of work and the government.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LEVITICUS 

13:45-14:32 and 1 CORINTHIANS 9:8-23

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

INSTRUCTION RESCUES

THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2015 

INSTRUCTION RESCUES 

MEMORISE : He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:20 

READ : Proverbs 19:20-21 

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 

21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. 

If you experience a loss at any point in life, know that it's a time to stay calm and not a time to lose heart. If you can wait to receive specific instructions from the Lord, it will expedite the recovery of your loss. The reason why many losses of God's children have not been recovered is because they have not found time to seek the face of God on the matter. As you seek God's face concerning those good things you have lost, the Lord will give you a word that will lead to their recovery. 

Many years ago, while we were building the first big auditorium at the Redemption Camp, we needed a lot of wood. We paid the government board in charge of sawmills in Edo state, Nigeria, to have this wood supplied to us. A few weeks to our convention, this government board decided to shut down all sawmills in the state. While pacing up and down asking God what to do, the Lord asked me what I knew about the Kingdom of God. To me, this question was irrelevant and I wanted to say so, but I cautioned myself and began to say what I knew about the Kingdom of God. I said 

"You must be born again to enter into the Kingdom of God". 

He concurred. Then I said "The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost". 

He agreed. This continued until I exhausted all I could remember on the subject matter. Eventually, I said 

"Since the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent taketh it by force." 

Then He replied, "That is where we are going. 

Do you want your wood? Give me a violent offering." That was on a Saturday; on Sunday, I shared this with my children and we gave a violent offering. On Monday, the governor of Edo state dissolved this government Board and reconstituted another one, which immediately reopened all sawmills. On Tuesday, someone who had no money to give brought his trailer for us to use as long as we wanted. On Wednesday, someone came to give us bags of nails. Several other people also brought materials for the building. Within two weeks, the auditorium was ready; all because I received an instruction from the Lord. The instruction that will lead to a full recovery of your losses shall be given to you this season. When you seek God's face and He tells you what to do, don't argue with Him; go ahead and obey the Lord and you will recover your losses. It is your recovery period this season! 

KEY POINT : For every loss, there is a recovery strategy which can be found with the Great Restorer - Jesus Christ. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LEVITICUS 12:1-13:44 and 1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-9:7 

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE WAY OUT

WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2015

THE WAY OUT

 

Memorise:

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Matthew 10:8

 

Read: Matthew 10:5-8

5  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

 

Message

Our Lord Jesus Christ has many names and titles. The purpose of these names is to enlighten the eyes of our understanding to the reality of His person. One of such names is The Way. In John 14:6, the Lord Jesus revealed this truth about Himself to us:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

What does the Lord mean when He says He is the Way? If you need to get to a location and you are at a loss on how to get there, the wise thing to do is to ask people at your current location the way out of where you are in order to get to where you wish to go. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way out of the unpleasant situation you are in presently.

He is also the Way into the new location of your choice. The Bible reveals Jesus as the Way out of sickness (1 Peter 2:24). In Acts 9:32-35, Peter visited some believers living in Lydda and met Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years. He simply introduced him to Jesus Christ, and Aeneas followed the Name of Jesus out of sickness into divine healing and health.

 

The Name of Jesus is also the Way out of death (Acts 9:40-41). Our Bible reading shows that the sick, the lepers and the dead can follow the pathway of Jesus out of their circumstances. Anyone who has an appointment with death can be delivered by following the Name of Jesus, because Jesus is the way out of any situation having to do with death. Some 276 sailors, soldiers and prisoners were lost at sea for fourteen days and faced sure death in the hands of a violent hurricane called Euroclydon (Act 27:12-44).

For fourteen days, their souls were overwhelmed with the fear of death and they could not eat anything. They all would have died but for the presence of Paul who bore the Name of Jesus amongst them. The Lord sent His angel to Paul to show them the way of escape from the clutches of death.

 

The Lord showed them that their salvation depended on them remaining in their sinking ship which was at the mercy of the winds (Acts 27:31)! The pathway that goes through Jesus led them through the valley of the shadow of death, and not one soul among them was lost (Acts 27:44). Do you have an early appointment with death that agents of darkness have fixed for you? In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that appointed with death is cancelled! Has sickness drawn you so close to death? In the Name of Jesus, you shall not die but live! You shall recover in Jesus' Name.

 

Prayer Point:

Father, quieten every storm that wants to deliver death to my life, family, business or ministry now, in Jesus' Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 10-11 and 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17-40

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

WHEN PIGS ARE WISER

TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2015

WHEN PIGS ARE WISER

 

Memorise:

And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

Mark 5:5

 

Read: Mark 5:1-13

1  And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2  And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3  Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4  Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6  But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7  And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

8  For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

9  And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

10  And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11  Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12  And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13  And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

 

Message

It is great to experience deliverance from demons, but it is better to never be repossessed by them after being delivered. A better option than these is not to have being possessed by demons at all. If you have never been possessed by demons all your life, you do not know what God has done for you. These two things are common to all those who have been possessed before: they suffered great losses and went through hell. Take for instance the Gadarene demoniac in our Bible reading: what he would never do to himself in his right senses, he did while demons were inside him. He cut his body with sharp stones, bled and felt the pain, and yet he compulsively repeated this often. In other words, the demons in him told him to hurt his own body as if it was the body of an enemy, and he obeyed even though he felt the pain. The demons tried to use him to destroy himself. Do you know that even today, demonic spirits still compel their victims to destroy themselves? We should not be surprised of this, as Jesus in John 10:10a already revealed their mission to us:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:"

 

All over the world today, demons of addiction gradually lure people into taking degenerative substances such as cocaine, heroin, Indian hemp, cigarettes, tobacco powder (snuff), etc. After a while, such people discover that they are unable to break away from these substances. The aim of these demonic spirits of addiction is to destroy their bodies. In the same manner, these spirits get people into drinking alcohol, and before long, they become alcoholics. The operations of the demons of lust follow the same pattern. They get their victims into immorality, sodomy, lesbianism, and other sexual sins, so as to make them destroy themselves. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says:

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

The objective of these demons is to make their victims destroy their bodies to the extent that the Holy Spirit will not come near it, not to talk of entering in. Unfortunately, do you know that some people are happy to harbour demons because of certain benefits they derive from them; for example, practitioners of witchcraft? The pigs that were at the receiving end of the demons cast out of the Gadarene demoniac were more sensible than such people. They preferred to drown rather than to allow demons inhabit them. Are you as wise as these pigs? If you have any spirit other than the Holy Spirit inside you, you need help through deliverance.

 

Action Point:

Ask God to deliver anyone under the manipulative influence of demons in your local church.

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LEVITICUS 8-9 and 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-7:16

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

ENDURING HARDSHIP

MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2015

ENDURING HARDSHIP

 

Memorise:

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Matthew 5:11

 

Read: Matthew 5:10-12

10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

Message

The devil knows the glorious tomorrow that awaits every believer in Christ when they cross the finish line of the Christian race. This is why he fights tooth and nail to derail us from reaching our goal. He was a part of the heavenly bliss that will be our reward, but he lost his place due to evil thoughts (Isaiah 14:12-15). He does not want us to taste what he lost; hence he works through wiles to bring us down (Ephesians 6:11). One of the wiles that Satan uses in making believers in Christ abandon the Christian race is hardship. Some people have pulled out of heaven's marathon before getting to the finish line, due to their inability to endure hardship. Our Lord Jesus Christ describes such people in Mark 4:17:

"And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."

 

The expectations you had when you entered the Christian faith matter a lot. The Christian faith is not a bed of roses. The way of the cross that leads to Heaven is not a path laden with gold and easy to take. If anyone tells you that once you believe in Jesus, all your problems will disappear and everything will always go well, you are being deceived. The day you signed up as a believer in Christ, the die was cast and the battle line was drawn between you and the kingdom of darkness. From that day, you became a sworn enemy of the forces of darkness. They will surely attack you and try to make you feel miserable.

 

You are expected to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). The inability to endure difficult and trying times makes one a bad soldier of the cross. Even when God blesses you, He still leaves room for you to be persecuted, tried and ridiculed. Your faith in Christ may be tested through lack, hunger, unanswered prayers, false accusations, ill health, and so on. Jesus in our Bible reading taught that if you can take persecution, being reviled by men and false accusation in good faith, you are blessed and on the path to Heaven. On the other hand, if you easily get offended by these, if nothing is done to correct your attitude, you may become derailed from the faith. Are you offended in Christ? Towards the end of his stay on earth, John the Baptist began to doubt if the same Person he had declared to be the Son of God was the true Messiah (Matthew 11:2-6). In His reply to John's questions, the Lord told him not to be offended in Him. It is a good thing to suffer persecution for your faith in Christ. Never get to the point of being offended in Him.

 

Prayer Point:

Father, let patience have its perfect work in my life, so that I will be wanting in nothing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LEVITICUS 6:8-7:38 and 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-6:11

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE

THE BEGINNING OF BEGINNINGS

SUNDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2015

THE BEGINNING OF BEGINNINGS

Memorise:

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Rev. 1:8

Read: John 1:1-3

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Message

The Almighty God is so great, mighty, powerful, glorious and all-knowing that He is unlimited, unlike mortal men. He has access to the past, present and future of every event. Jesus in Revelation 1:8 declared:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

The word "Alpha" in this declaration refers to the beginning of beginnings. When everything began, it was in His presence. John 1:2 says the Word was in the beginning with God. He was there when everything was formed, and as a result, He can trace the historical links of everything to where it all started. He is still in control of the past, so He can interfere with it in order to give you a better tomorrow.

He knows exactly how things will turn out; hence it is best to always stick with His decisions. Before He gives counsel on any matter, He looks at the situation from the angles of the past, present and future, within the context of His purpose for your life. This is why those who factor His decisions into their lives are wise (Proverbs 3:5-7). Even if something goes wrong with such a decision down the line, because He is involved, and all the power and resources available in the universe belong to Him, He will tinker with things and get them to work in your favour (Romans 8:28). How often do you let Him into your decisions?

In the sphere of human existence, today is a product of yesterday. If you are a professional today, it is because you spent time being trained in school yesterday. If you have graduated from the university with a first-class honours degree, it is because you invested quality time into studying. If you are doing menial jobs as a cleaner or messenger, it is most likely because of your lack of access to an education or because you did not invest enough time in schooling. If you are suffering today, it is most likely as a result of what you did or did not do in the past. This is why you should be very careful with what you do today. Also, have tomorrow in view before taking that decision today. Thirdly, get connected with the only One who can go into your past to help your present. Do you know the Alpha and Omega? Are you connected with the Beginning of beginnings?

Prayer Point:

Father, go into my past and correct any error working against me today, and make my tomorrow great.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LEVITICUS 4:13-6:7 and 1 CORINTHIANS 4

AUTHOR: Pst E. A ADEBOYE